Fresh off his victory against Gabriel Sousa last month, current ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci sets his sights on a new challenge. He’ll move up further in weight to challenge Kade Ruotolo for his ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title in a highly anticipated match at ONE 168: Denver. The event takes place on Friday, September 6th at Ball Arena, marking ONE Championship’s second return to the US.

Currently, back in his home country, Mikey Musumeci is training hard for his upcoming fight. In between training sessions, he enjoys sharing glimpses of his life on social media. This includes indulging in his favorites like pizza and pasta.

Recently, Musumeci surprised fans with an Instagram post featuring a childhood picture. The photo shows him between 8-12 years old, but with a surprisingly defined physique for a kid that age that left fans speechless, questioning their own childhood fitness levels. It seems Musumeci’s dedication to fitness started young, even with his love for pizza.

Fans compare their physique to a young Mikey Musumeci

A true child prodigy, Mikey Musumeci began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the tender age of 4, laying the foundation for his successful grappling career. While also a self-proclaimed food lover, Musumeci admits to struggling with an eating disorder in his younger years. In an interview with Tatler Asia, he recalled his coach’s stern warning,” You won’t be a world champion if you keep eating cookies.”

However, “Darth Rigatoni,” as he is known, has mastered the art of balancing his love for food with the demands of combat sports, evident in his impressive physique. This dedication even impressed a fan who commented on a childhood photo of Musumeci, stating, “Dude was born ripped. We’re the same age btw.” Another fan, stunned by his ripped physique at such a young age, commented, “You had an 8-pack as an 8-year-old.” Meanwhile, a stunned fan simply remarked, “The monster 🔥.”

One fan, acknowledging Musumeci’s well-known love for pizza, jokingly remarked, “Pre-pizza cycle.” Another fan, impressed by Mikey Musumeci’s physique, playfully stated, “He would wristlock me even at that age.” A fan with a penchant for anime drew a comparison between Musumeci’s childhood physique and an anime character, commenting, “Looking like a whole a** anime character. The kid that destroys the adults.”

Finally, a hardcore fan asked a crucial question regarding Mikey Musumeci’s potential MMA debut. The fan commented, “Great pic! Why didn’t you follow the MMA path?” What’s your take on this fan’s comment? Do you also want to see Mikey Musumeci succeed in the MMA circle next? Let us know in the comments!