Mikey Musumeci has already proven himself to be one of the best grapplers in the world today, so he may be looking for a new challenge soon.

The ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion will step into new territory when he takes on Japanese martial arts legend Shinya Aoki in an openweight submission grappling contest at ONE Fight Night 15: Tawanchai vs. Superbon on Friday, October 6. However, he’s also considering a debut in mixed martial arts.

Mikey Musumeci Excited To Train In Muay Thai In Thailand

In an interview with TMZ, “Darth Rigatoni,” who holds a 5-0 record in ONE’s submission grappling ranks, shared that a former mentor has been urging him to try MMA. He revealed that it might be time to explore it, especially since he is set for a change of scenery soon. “Gilbert [Burns] wants me to [do MMA] so bad, you know? Because Gilbert gave me my black belt,” he said.“I’m moving to Thailand in September. I’m going to be there for a few months, back and forth from the U.S. and Asia. But I’ll be in Thailand, mostly. So, I’m going to have access to the best Muay Thai training in the world, right, being in the motherland of Muay Thai.”

Competing in ONE Championship gives Musumeci the perfect opportunity to try and expand his martial arts mastery. The promotion regularly showcases MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling bouts, actively encouraging fighters to explore competing in various disciplines. Kickboxing and Muay Thai star Stamp Fairtex and multiple-time BJJ World Champions Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida and Garry Tonon are just a few examples of fighters who have achieved significant success in MMA.

Read More: ONE Fight Night 15: Jonathan Di Bella Defends World Title Against Danial William, Mikey Musumeci To Face Shinya Aoki

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On the same night that Musumeci will grapple with Aoki, ONE will also feature a meeting between the current bantamweight World Champions in Muay Thai, Jonathan Haggerty, and MMA, Fabricio Andrade, who will compete for the vacant kickboxing belt. The match is a testament to how the promotion isn’t afraid to pit stars from separate disciplines against each other to promote the beauty of martial arts.

 A possible transition to MMA?

Musumeci expresses his excitement about training in “the art of eight limbs” again after having an introduction to the sport in his youth. Given his famously obsessive dedication to perfecting his submission grappling game, fans might see him competing in the all-encompassing sport of mixed martial arts very soon.

Read More: “I’ll Put All My Energy Into That” – Danial Williams Reveals Multi-Sports Championship Ambition Starting With Jonathan Di Bella’s Kickboxing Belt

“Let’s see my progress. I did Muay Thai for, like, seven years as a kid, and I love it. I love Muay Thai. I really enjoy learning it, just like Jiu-Jitsu,” he said. “I’ll just study it and become the best I can at it, then if I’m ready, and I’m decent, f*** it, let’s do it. I’d love to do MMA; it’d be so cool.”