Tony Ferguson approved - Masakazu Imanari's unique training before Mikey Musumeci grappling match

On April 22, Masakazu Imanari will meet world Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Mikey Musumeci in ONE Championship. Before they meet in a grappling showdown, Masakazu Imanari is practicing what he is best known for: The Imanari Roll.

"Just keep rollin'. Masakazu Imanari returns on 22 April for a grappling match against BJJ phenom Mikey Musumeci!"

The Imanari Roll was invented by Masakazu Imanari, the Japanese MMA veteran. It's a unique and inventive way of initiating grappling with an opponent. The move starts with facing the opponent, turning one's back while dropping to the ground, gripping the back of the opponent’s knee, which entangles the legs, and the opponent is brought to the ground.

In a recent video, Imanari was seen on his back, rotating between multiple students by pulling himself with his ankles and hands on his student's knees and legs.

Here is a guide on how to perform this maneuver by Imanari himself:

UFC fighter Tony Ferguson has successfully performed this move in professional competition multiple times.

Watch former UFC and WEC champion Dominick Cruz explain and break down the move below:

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Masakazu Imanari vs. Mikey Musumeci on April 22 in ONE

ONE Championship continues their submission grappling bouts with a fascinating addition. ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic will host Muay Thai, kickboxing, MMA, and submission grappling.

Five-time world Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Mikey Musumeci from USA will be meeting the Japanese MMA veteran Imanari. Musumeci is working specifically on techniques to counter the Imanari roll to ready himself.

In this maneuver, the experienced jiu-jitsu champion is trying to counter the roll by jumping across the opponents' hips to try and take back control.

Imanari is a well-experienced fighter who made his pro-MMA debut in 2000. He has fought in PRIDE FC, DEEP, DREAM, Cage Rage, RIZIN, and ONE Championship. In many of these organizations, he had collected championship titles.

This submission grappling bout will be Musumeci's promotional debut in ONE Championship. When the April 22 bout was announced, Musumeci said:

"I’m super excited to announce I will be making my [ONE Championshi] debut in [on April 22]! What an honor it is to be competing with this legend, Imanari, as my first match ever in Asia! I’m so excited! Ecooo Ayooo!"

The headlining bout of ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic will be a lightweight kickboxing title between defending champion Regian Eersel, a Dutch-Surinam fighter, against Germany's Arian Sadikovic. Also, in the co-main event, ONE is introducing the strawweight championship for women's Muay Thai between Filipino-American Jackie Buntan and Swedish teenager Smilla Sundell. The action goes down on April 22.