Grappling sensation Mikey Musumeci is open to the concept of competing in combined martial arts sooner or later, however solely after he helps popularize jiu-jitsu underneath the UFC banner.
The previous ONE grappling champion left the Asian group and signed a novel cope with the UFC to compete on their UFC Battle Move Invitational reveals, beginning with a Dec. 5 match with Felipe Machado in Las Vegas, and defined his plans in an interview with MMA Combating after being launched as an enormous signing throughout UFC 309 this previous weekend at Madison Sq. Backyard.
“It’s all so unimaginable to me,” Musumeci stated. “We’re attempting to alter the game. It began with IBJJF, which was necessary, however now we will develop the game to a extra skilled place for different folks. That is my dream. I’ve sufficient titles already, I don’t need extra titles. The one factor I need is to have an effect for the longer term technology, so that they have a company the place they will make sufficient cash.”
Being tied to the world’s main MMA group may facilitate Musumeci securing larger offers in a future transition to the game, and he’s .
“I’ve the will to possibly do MMA once more sooner or later,” Musumeci stated. “I’m younger, my physique could be very younger. I’ve by no means taken steroids, so my physique is like 20, 21, really. I can have many extra years of competitors nonetheless.
“Being within the UFC now, I’ll have the chance to coach with much more people who I wouldn’t prior to now, and be taught from them on the toes, takedowns, wrestling. The very first thing I liked in life was MMA. If I can have the chance to battle MMA within the UFC, that’s going to be a dream, too. I need to do MMA, however the present God has given me was jiu-jitsu, so I’ve to develop our sport first. I can’t depart our sport earlier than serving to it develop to a spot the place different folks, different children can have a company to compete at sooner or later.”
The 28-year-old stated his best recreation for a MMA battle can be the mixture of Ryan Corridor, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Khamzat Chimaev preventing kinds. He trains with Gilbert Burns, who has given him his black belt in jiu-jitsu, and sometimes works with former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno so as to add extra weapons to his skillset.
“I’ve so many good folks in my life,” Musumeci stated. “However, once more, like I stated, I need to assist the game of jiu-jitsu develop first. I’ve that obligation, this need in my coronary heart, to assist out sport first. After which I can do one thing loopy [laughs].”
Musumeci competed completely underneath the ONE Championship banner since April of 2022 and stated it was “an unimaginable a part of my life.” He parted methods with the promotion shortly after a cancelled match that left him hospitalized with “a life-threatening situation” from a botched weight minimize.
“I’m very grateful to Chatri [Sityodtong] for the chance he’s given me,” Musumeci stated. “I had three superb years there. I’ve realized a lot from him, he’s helped so much in my life. The one factor I’ll say about him and ONE is that I’m grateful for all the pieces they’ve executed.”
The idea at ONE Championship was to construct playing cards that included not solely MMA bouts, but in addition grappling, kickboxing and muay thai, and Musumeci stated it was a good way to introduce jiu-jitsu to followers from different martial arts.
“And now the UFC has many, many plans for grappling,” Musumeci stated. “They need to develop our sport to different folks as nicely. The factor I liked about ONE was that MMA and will thai folks watching jiu-jitsu, and the UFC will develop our sport that individuals will begin watching and loving jiu-jitsu, too.”
The four-time IBJJF champion celebrates the very fact the UFC giving grapplers a “safer” setting to compete at, too.
“The issue with many organizations now, brother, is that [athletes] should not secure,” Musumeci stated. “Generally they’ve cash, typically they don’t. An excessive amount of politics. Now, with the UFC, we lastly have a company that will probably be secure and extra skilled with different folks. My dream is to make this sport develop.”
Musumeci left ONE with seven wins in seven matches, together with submissions over Shinya Aoki and Jarred Brooks. His first problem in Las Vegas will probably be a match with Felipe Machado on the week of UFC 310, and he embraces the strain that comes from being a star.
“I’ve so f***ing strain this time,” Musumeci laughed. “I’ve the largest strain ever this time however I adore it as a result of I develop from strain. I’m used to this sort of strain. You’re feeling such as you’re dying, however then you definately get used to dying. I’m blessed by that strain, and I’m utilizing all this strain as vitality to have extra starvation within the gymnasium. You’ll see a hungry Musumeci seeking to end the match.”
