Sportskeeda picks: ONE Championship’s best submission grappler of 2023 

ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci's greatness is unparalleled and he is considered to be the best when it comes to the grappling-exclusive arts.

As such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he is Sportskeeda MMA’s unanimous pick as ONE Championship’s best submission grappler of 2023.

‘Darth Rigatoni’ has become an absolute crowd darling for his unassuming demeanor and affable nature outside the Circle. But when it’s time to scrap, the 27-year-old BJJ wizard turns into an unstoppable machine, who masterfully weaves through an opponent’s guard with impeccable transitions.

Those who dare enter his own guard are usually subjected to an unsolvable puzzle that’s impossible to get out of. Once he takes away every bit of his challenger’s air space, Musumeci gets the job done, locking in every chokehold and joint lock imaginable to force his opponent to submission.

Mikey Musumeci remains perfect in six matches under the ONE banner, with four of those victories taking place in 2023.

Let’s recap Musumeci’s spectacular year and relive why he is ONE Championship’s best submission grappler of 2023.

The decimation of Gantumur Bayanduuren’s leg (ONE Fight Night 6)

Musumeci started the year right by successfully defending his crown for the first time against the gutsy Gantumur Bayanduuren in January.

‘Darth Rigatoni’ literally threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Mongolian warrior, catching him with gnarly ankle locks, heel hooks, kneebars, and even his signature Mikey Lock. Somehow, someway, Bayanduuren fought through the pain and refused to tap.

Musumeci took home the unanimous decision win after 10 minutes, while the stubborn challenger left with a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his left knee, along with a broken ankle.

The technical annihilation of Osamah Almarwai (ONE Fight Night 10)

ONE’s on-site US debut at 1stBank Center in Denver, Colorado was indeed a memorable one, and Musumeci played a big role in that. He put on a BJJ clinic against the formidable Osamah Almarwai.

‘Darth Rigatoni’ was always a few steps ahead of the IBJJF No-Gi Rooster division champion and eventually made his way to the Yemeni’s back. That was all she wrote once Musumeci sunk in the hooks and the tight rear-naked choke for another sensational victory.

The brilliant domination over Jarred Brooks (ONE Fight 13)

Musumeci proved he’s always down for a challenge, welcoming ONE strawweight MMA kingpin Jarred Brooks to submission grappling last August. ‘The Monkey God’ was as ferocious as advertised, using his daunted wrestling pedigree and overwhelming top pressure.

Musumeci, though, was a picture of composure, as he relentlessly attacked off his back and neutralized Brooks’ best weapons.

The Evolve MMA standout eventually caught Brooks in a tight triangle choke and finished him off with a textbook triangle/armbar.

The passing of the torch from legend Shinya Aoki (ONE Fight Night 15)

Musumeci took on another former MMA world champion and man much bigger than him, Shinya Aoki, in an open-weight grappling showdown this past October.

It was a classic case of the student besting the master, as Musumeci barely broke a sweat and submitted the Japanese icon using Aoki’s infamous creation, the ‘Aoki Lock’.

Aoki was gracious in defeat and gladly passed the torch to Musumeci, hailing him as the best grappler on the planet today.