“Two Guys I Know Are Going to Make Me Push Myself” – Mikey Musumeci Names Fighters He’d Like to Face in 2024

Mikey Musumeci is constantly looking to test himself despite being arguably the best submission grappler on the planet today. The American star had another memorable year in 2023. He went 4-0 in ONE Championship, including three defenses of his flyweight submission grappling crown.

Musumeci started the year with one of the most brutal grappling performances ever seen in the Asia-based promotion. It was against Sambo World Champion Gantumur Bayanduuren at ONE Fight Night 6. Though he didn’t get the finish, Bayanduuren’s leg was effectively shattered due to his constant onslaught.

The 27-year-old followed that decision win with back-to-back submission victories over IBJJF No-Gi World Champion Osamah Almarwai and ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred Brooks, respectively.

Mikey Musumeci has big goals for 2024

His latest match was an open-weight contest against Japanese martial arts legend, Shinya Aoki. Despite the weight difference, Musumeci was able to score a finish using his veteran foe’s signature move, the Aoki Lock.

As the Evolve MMA representative looks ahead to the new year, he has two fighters on his wishlist to face – ADCC standouts Gabriel Sousa and Diego Reis. “Those two guys, they mean a lot to me, especially for my career in no-gi. You know, my career in gi, it speaks for itself. I won every title. I beat the top people. In the gi, my credibility is complete,” he told ONE in a recent interview.

Sousa is widely regarded as one of the top light featherweight athletes, while Reis is an accomplished grappler who won an ADCC World Championship in 2022. No one can come close to questioning Musumeci’s dominance in grappling. However, he wants to further prove his skills against the best nonetheless.

Mikey Musumeci wants to focus on no-gi now

Neither Sousa nor Reis currently competes in ONE. However, Musumeci believes that a meeting with either in the world’s largest martial arts organization would make for a thrilling showcase.

“I don’t feel there’s anything else for me to do in the gi. But no-gi, I never won ADCC, right? So that’s a big hole. I mean, they don’t have my weight class, so that’s one thing. But again, I still want to beat the champions of ADCC,” Musumeci pointed out.

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“And I want to test myself, you know, and those two guys, Gabriel Sousa and ‘Baby Shark,’ those are the two guys I know are going to make me push myself to train hard, and they make me excited.” Fans will surely love to see these potential matchups. Can Mikey Musumeci continue his winning streak? Let us know your thoughts.