“Had a Pizza Exorcism”- Mikey Musumeci Details His Activities in Brooklyn as He Prepares for the World Title at ONE 168 Against Kade Ruotolo

Riding high on his recent victory over longtime rival Gabriel Sousa in a bantamweight submission grappling bout at ONE 167 earlier this month, current ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci is brimming with confidence. Now, his sights are set on ONE 168: Denver, where he’ll challenge Kade Ruotolo for the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title.

In between grueling training sessions, the American grappler is indulging in his favorite food, making the most of his limited free time.

Mikey Musumeci details his activities before ONE 168 bout

Mikey Musumeci’s Denver fight card is just under three months away, and he’s been shaking things up by competing in different weight classes lately. While he’s a flyweight submission grappling champion, he stepped up to bantamweight for his last fight against Gabriel Sousa. Now, he’s taking an even bigger leap by challenging Kade Ruotolo, the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion.

Mikey Musumeci’s latest Instagram post reveals he’s back home in Brooklyn, New York, indulging in his pizza cravings at Lucali, a pizza and calzone restaurant in the borough. The caption read, “BACK HOME – BROOKLYN, NY – MIKEY LUCALI @lucali_bk – I’m in heaven Loving Mikey is back no more swearing I swear. I just had a PIZZA EXORCISM,” playfully highlights his love for pizza before returning to the grind of submission grappling training.

Die-hard Mikey Musumeci fans know his pizza obsession is nothing new. He openly shared in interviews that pizza and pasta reign supreme in his diet, a stark contrast to the typical athlete’s regimen of boiled chicken and broccoli.

Musumeci on his Pasta and Pizza diet

In his interview with Tatler Asia in February, “Darth Rigatoni” discussed his unique approach to diet and how it fuels his athletic performance. When asked how he embraces his inner child, Musumeci revealed his love for pizza and pasta. Musumeci revealed that food became associated with a reward at a young age. “I started training really young,” he said, adding, “At 10, I already had a coach telling me that I wouldn’t become a world champion if I ate a cookie.”

He explained how this pressure led him to control his diet more and more, eventually developing an eating disorder. Musumeci recalled that one day, he finally snapped and ended up eating so much that he ended up with a stomach ache and had to go to the hospital. However, emerging from this challenging experience, “Darth Rigatoni” completely transformed his relationship with food. Intermittent fasting fits seamlessly into his busy training schedule.

He admitted that some days he might only eat at night, but surprisingly, this approach keeps him feeling mentally and physically sharp. He attributed this newfound balance to “fixing his brain.” Now, it remains to be seen how Mikey Musumeci’s unique diet will translate as he moves up in weight class. Stay tuned for further updates.