Gabriel Sousa is expecting an exciting promotional debut in less than two weeks, especially since he will be up against one of the best of this generation. With a tremendous record in his professional career. Sousa is looking to grab the victory.

In his first match in the world’s largest martial arts organization, the Brazilian grappler will face flyweight king Mikey “Darth Rigatoni” Musumeci in a bantamweight submission grappling tilt at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II.

Gabriel Sousa’s high-stakes battle in Bangkok

The event is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 7, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. In an interview with ONE, the 27-year-old has nothing but praise for his upcoming opponent but notes that the clash of their fighting styles will result in an exceptional battle.

“Mikey is an exceptional athlete! He is really badass. He has an out-of-this-world guard game. He attacks the back very well; he also attacks footlocks, heel hooks, and kneebars very well. He is one of the best athletes in the world,” he said.

He further added, “But our fighting styles are different. I like takedowns and I like passing guard. Mikey, on the other hand, likes to play guard and take the back or attack footlocks. He is an expert at what he does and I am an expert at what I do. It will be a great fight.” For the second straight match, Musumeci will be competing against a heavier opponent in ONE.

He was brilliant in his last outing, submitting former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki with his own “Aoki Lock” in an openweight submission grappling match.

Can Sousa maintain his record against Musumeci?

“Darth Rigatoni” is also scheduled to move up even further as he challenges Kade Ruotolo for the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title at ONE 168: Denver in September. But first, he has to conquer the last man to tap him in competition – something none of his past acquaintances in ONE can say.

In 2021, Sousa shocked the world with a submission win over Musumeci and continued to impress in various competitions since then. While others before him had the threat of being able to finish the reigning flyweight submission grappling king, Sousa is the only one who can say that he has done it before and can do it again.

Much has changed between them, with Musumeci now one of the faces of ONE’s submission grappling division and Sousa coming in as a newcomer on the global stage. As such, the Essential Jiu-Jitsu product will need to replicate his incredible feat to make a statement and elevate his status in the grappling world.