After conquering the BJJ world and reigning as ONE’s Lightweight Submission Grappling king, Kade Ruotolo impressed everyone with his MMA debut last week. He dominated compatriot Blake Copper at ONE 167, proving his skills extend beyond grappling mats. That same card also saw the flyweight submission grappling titleholder, Mikey Musumeci, score a win against Gabriel Sousa in a bantamweight grappling match.

Now, these two grappling stars are set to collide at ONE 168: Denver. The fight will take place inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, and will be a clash for Ruotolo’s ONE lightweight Submission Grappling World Championship. To make this fight happen, Mikey Musumeci has to bulk up and move up several weight classes. Here’s all we know about his preparation.

Mikey Musumeci vows extreme preparation for ONE 168

Mikey Musumeci, just three months out from his Denver fight card showdown with Kade Ruotolo, opened up on Instagram about his anxieties. He called the fight the biggest and toughest test of his career, especially considering the weight gain. Musumeci’s jumping up to 170 pounds for his matchup.

“Mikey vs Kade Ruotolo: 3 months until lightweight title match, “Musumeci wrote. ” Three months until the biggest, hardest match of my career. The camp has continued since my match last week! Moving up to 145 was fun; so far, my best performance yet in Nogi! This is the past now though.”

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Additionally, Musumeci wrapped up his post by expressing gratitude to his team and training partners. He specifically mentioned Rubens Charles “Corbinha” Maciel and everyone at The Triegning Lab, acknowledging their hard work and dedication. “Huge thanks to the team for everything, “Musumeci wrote. He then sets his sights on the future. Musumeci said, “Now, let’s continue on this path of death row and move up to face the best person in the world at 170! I promise the next 3 months I’m going to work my butt off again.”

Later, Musumeci concluded with a determined tone, vowing to make history. He sees conquering higher weight classes as the next step in his evolution, adding even more achievements to his already impressive resume. Regarding moving up to face Kade Ruotolo, Musumeci acknowledges it’s a challenge, but he’s confident it will propel him to new heights.

Musumeci eyes higher weight classes in evolution journey

Mikey Musumeci, the reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion, embodies the philosophy that “life is always about moving forward.” This is evident in his constant evolution within the weight classes. After dominating the flyweight ranks, he recently picked up a huge win at bantamweight, and will now move even heavier when he takes on a massive challenge at the 170-pound lightweight limit against Kade Ruotolo for the division’s top prize. For Musumeci, it’s not just a fight; it’s the next step in his grappling journey.

Musumeci’s hunger for growth goes beyond titles. In a recent interview with Jits Magazine before his dominant win against Gabriel Sousa at ONE 167. he emphasized his focus on constant evolution. “These matches for me, I’ve already won every title I wanted to in Jiu-Jitsu honestly, but for me, it’s just me rolling with the top guys and seeing what I have to get better at and keep progressing.”

Now, after a spectacular victory over Sousa, Mikey sets his sights on the ultimate challenge: dethroning Kade Ruotolo, the lightweight submission grappling king. Can Musumeci pull off this upset? Share your thoughts in the comments below!