Mikey Musumeci is charting a course toward an MMA career, but not before conquering the grappling world under the UFC’s spotlight.
The former ONE flyweight grappling champion signed an exclusive deal with the UFC earlier this month, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both him and the promotion.
Musumeci is tasked with making his promotional debut against Felipe Machado on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 9.
As a highly accomplished grappler, "Darth Rigatoni" has long been thrilled by the idea of blending disciplines in MMA. Now, with his association with the UFC, that ambition seems well within his grasp.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Musumeci shared his enthusiasm about joining the UFC, highlighting how it will allow him to refine the nuances of MMA under the guidance of the sport's top professionals. He also affirmed that a transition to MMA is inevitable in his future.
I have the desire to maybe do MMA again in the future," Musumeci said. "I’m young, my body is very young. I’ve never taken steroids, so my body is like 20, 21, actually. I can have many more years of competition still. Being in the UFC now, I’ll have the opportunity to train with a lot more people that I wouldn’t in the past, and learn from them on the feet, takedowns, wrestling. The first thing I loved in life was MMA. If I can have the opportunity to fight MMA in the UFC, that’s going to be a dream, too.
The 28-year-old New Jersey native is undeniably hyped about what lies ahead in his career, but he made it clear that his journey into MMA will only come after he’s contributed to elevating jiu-jitsu within the UFC and inspiring the next generation of fighters.
I want to do MMA, but the gift God has given me was jiu-jitsu, so I have to grow our sport first. I can’t leave our sport before helping it grow to a place where other people, other kids can have an organization to compete at in the future.
Musumeci made his mark under the ONE Championship umbrella, where he began competing in October 2022 and maintained an impressive 7-0 undefeated streak. "Darth Rigatoni" was slated to defend his flyweight title against IBJJF world champion Carlos Oliveira on short notice in the co-main event of ONE 168 this past September.
Unfortunately, Musumeci was unable to make the 135-pound weight limit and failed a hydration test at the last minute, which resulted in him being stripped of his title.
Adding to the setback, he was hospitalized with pneumomediastinum, forcing him to withdraw from the fight entirely. Not long after these challenges, Musumeci severed ties with the promotion.