ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci has announced his next bout, and names don’t come much bigger than his upcoming opponent.
“Darth Rigatoni” will face Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki in a non-title, openweight submission grappling contest at ONE Fight Night 15 on October 6.
Musumeci and Aoki have trained together recently, and they share a friendly rivalry. The American grappling superstar was characteristically respectful of his foe as he dropped news of the match on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:CwBwa1Bp939
“OCT 6 MIKEY MUSUMECI X SHINYA AOKI // I am super excited to announce my next match in @onechampionship I will be going up in weight to face a living Japanese legend @shinya050983 . It is such an honor to have this opportunity to compete with him, and I know this match will be super exciting for everyone !!!! I am always seeking improvement and working so hard everyday; IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS CHALLENGE !!!! LETS DO THIS!!!” Mu️sumeci wrote.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wasted no time slipping into the comments section of the world champion’s post.
Zuckerberg is an avid Brazilian jiu-jitsu student, and he took to the mats with Musumeci earlier this year. The pair trained at the tech billionaire’s home in June, and he couldn’t hide his excitement for his friend’s next match.
“Excited for this ” Zuckerberg wrote.
Musumeci has been utterly dominant in his ONE Championship run so far. The 27-year-old claimed the inaugural flyweight submission grappling strap with a decision win over longtime rival Cleber Souza in October 2022, and he has defended the title on three occasions.
His latest outing saw him score an epic triangle armbar submission win over ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks at ONE Fight Night 13 earlier this month.
Aoki has been a staple in ONE since 2012, and he has fought the who’s who of the MMA world across his legendary 58-fight career.
The former lightweight MMA king will compete under grappling rules for the fourth time in ONE when he takes on Musumeci at ONE Fight Night 15, and he competed in the very first canvas-based bout in the promotion in 2017.
