Discover the potential game-changing transition of Mikey Musumeci, the ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion, into the world of MMA. Read more about his mentor Gilbert ‘Durinho’ Burns’ desire to see him compete and his upcoming openweight grappling affair against Shinya Aoki.
ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci has been dominating the jiu-jitsu scene under the ONE banner. But now, fans are eagerly anticipating his transition into the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). One person who is particularly excited about this move is his mentor and good friend, Gilbert ‘Durinho’ Burns.
In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Burns expressed his desire to see Musumeci compete in MMA. He revealed, ‘Gilbert wants me to do MMA so bad. You know, because Gilbert gave me my black belt.’ Musumeci, known for his brilliant mind and impressive accomplishments in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, owes his BJJ lineage to Burns, a third-degree black belt and a renowned submission hunter in MMA.
Musumeci’s journey with Burns began when he used to take private lessons under him. However, Musumeci’s rapid progress and exceptional skills led Burns to stop charging him and instead become his training partner. At the age of 18, just a year after receiving his brown belt from BJJ great Guilherme Mendes, Musumeci was awarded his black belt by Burns.
Now, Burns wants Musumeci to follow in his footsteps and make a name for himself in the MMA world using his BJJ wizardry. While Musumeci continues to excel in submission grappling, he has also accepted a challenge in the form of an openweight grappling affair against BJJ and MMA icon Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight 15: Tawanchai vs. Superbon. The event will take place at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok and will be streamed live on Prime Video on October 6.
This highly anticipated matchup between Musumeci and Aoki is expected to showcase the skills and potential of Musumeci in the world of MMA. Fans will have the opportunity to witness his transition from the grappling world to the cage, and it’s sure to be a game changer.
Fight Results
| Fighters | Result ||—————-|——–|| Mikey Musumeci | TBD || Shinya Aoki | TBD |