“If We Don’t Grapple in the Circle, I’ll Come to Vegas and Grapple”- One Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson Responds to Mikey Musumeci’s Request to Roll

Published 10/07/2022, 9:30 AM EDT

Follow Us

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom Mikey “Darth Rigatoni” Musumeci earned a second win over longtime rival Cleber Sousa to claim the inaugural ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Title at ONE on Prime Video 2 this past Friday, September 30.

The five-time IBJJF World Champion’s relentless offensive pursuit on the ground and ability to find loopholes within his Brazilian foe’s guard earned him a unanimous decision win inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Following the win, Musumeci announced to Circle-side announcer Mitch “The Dragon” Chilson that he would love to get a chance to grapple against mixed martial arts legend Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson inside the Circle.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Musumeci respectfully requests to roll with Demetrious Johnson

We can make history together, you know. I know me and him could bring the MMA and jiu-jitsu fans together. And it would just be a historic and incredible event. And it’ll be an honor to step on the mat with him. It’s not a callout. It’s just a respectful request to roll,” the 26-year-old said.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Johnson, who was watching the event live on U.S. primetime, responded to “Darth Rigatoni’s” within minutes of ONE sharing the post-fight interview on their Twitter. “Mighty Mouse” expressed a similar point of view while stating that he would be open to a casual roll on the mats if ONE doesn’t present them with an opportunity on the big stage.

If we don’t grapple in the Circle, I’ll come to Vegas and grapple ya in the gym,” the 13-time MMA World Champion tweeted. Musumeci and Johnson represent the best that submission grappling and MMA worlds have to offer.

Is Johnson vs. Musumeci the super-fight to make?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

ONE’s first-ever submission grappling World Champion now has the pick of the litter when it comes to future opponents, and the skills he exhibited inside the Circle at ONE on Prime Video 2 suggest that he could be in for a lengthy reign as divisional king.

Meanwhile, Johnson is looking to get his tenure as the ONE Flyweight World Champion off to a dream start. The American MMA GOAT picked up the crown with a devastating flying knee knockout of Adriano Moraes at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

After a Record-Breaking Deal with Prime Video, ONE Championship’s Flagship Show Now Available on the Platform

A submission grappling battle or mixed rules super-fight between the two ONE World Champions would be nothing short of fireworks if it were to materialize at any stage.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Yeswanth Praveen

928Articles

One take at a time

Yeswanth Praveen is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His interests mainly lie in the realm of MMA, bodybuilding, and the fitness industry. He finished his Master's in English literature from EFLU, Hyderabad.
Show More>

Edited by:

Rohini Kottu