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3 reasons we need to see Mikey Musumeci vs. Demetrious Johnson

Sheena Suparman (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, October 6, 2022

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3 reasons we need to see Mikey Musumeci vs. Demetrious Johnson Mikey Musumeci, the newly crowned ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion, talks to Mitch Chilson following his victory at ONE Fight Night on Saturday. (ONE Championship)

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a href="https://onefc.com/athletes/mikey-musumeci" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mikey Musumeci made history at ONE Fight Night 2: Xiong vs. Lee III on Oct. 1 by becoming ONE Championship’s first-ever ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom defeated longtime rival Cleber Sousa to earn the inaugural belt, and following the win, he expressed interest in facing a mixed martial arts legend in the near future.

In his post-fight interview, "Darth Rigatoni" asked newly crowned ONE Flyweight World Champion Demetrious Johnson if he would be open to a submission grappling bout with him, and the MMA GOAT responded in the affirmative via social media.

Nothing has been set up as of yet, but with both parties interested, we thought it logical to put together a list of reasons why this match-up would be a must-see for fight fans around the world, should it go down.

World champion versus world champion

“Mighty Mouse” is an MMA veteran and a 13-time world champion in the all-encompassing sport. He has proven his skills against the best in the business throughout his storied career, and his recent world title-winning performance against Adriano Moraes showed that he still has the fire to compete and put on a jaw-dropping show.

Musumeci, on the other hand, has won the IBJJF world championship five times in addition to his new ONE flyweight submission grappling world title. He is considered the best BJJ artist on the planet and has picked up 29 submission victories across his career.

These two superstars represent the best their respective sports have to offer, so a meeting between the two would only produce world-class action.

America’s top two flyweights

Johnson has been at the top of his game for many years. The 36-year-old holds a record of 31-4-1, with a jaw-dropping 60 percent finishing rate. The flyweight king is notorious for being a crafty practitioner of MMA who is ruthlessly strategic with his movement.

It would be fascinating to see Musumeci try to work his way around the American star inside the Circle, as his own calculated approach has become legendary in the world of submission grappling.

Battle of big personalities

Both fighters are known to be candid with their feelings and unafraid to show their unique mindset, so the buildup to this match would be engaging to say the least.

Johnson is straightforward, open and direct regarding his thoughts on his opponents, whether negative or positive. This would be an interesting contrast to Musumeci's upbeat demeanor ahead of his fights.

Both stars enjoy the occasional callout but let their actions in the Circle speak for themselves, so the lead-up to the fight would, ultimately, only serve as the starter to a thoroughly filling main course.

Up next, catch all the action at ONE 162: Zhang vs. Di Bella on Oct. 21 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.

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