Roberto Soldic in awe of Mikey Musumeci’s grappling skills: “He’s very, very dangerous”

ONE Championship welterweight MMA standout Roberto Soldic has come forward to express his admiration for Mikey Musumeci.

In fact, he’s excited for the ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion’s openweight match against Japanese legend Shinya Aoki.

The bout takes place at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video, and it airs live on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service on Friday, October 6.

“Mikey Musumeci [is one of my favorite athletes in ONE]. I like to watch him. He’s very fun,” Soldic said.

Soldic’s endorsement of Musumeci seems to be a testament to the growing appeal of submission grappling worldwide.

“I like to watch [Musumeci], and I like seeing the grappling on the cards. Everything in combat sports is good and exciting when you take two of the top guys in the world. They always give you a crazy fight,” he continued.

Also, “Robocop” acknowledges submission grappling’s ability to complement the other disciplines that ONE offers.

“It doesn’t matter which combat sport – Muay Thai, kickboxing, grappling, MMA – I’m excited for anyone who fights at the top against the best guys,” Soldic said.

“And you only have this in ONE Championship. That’s why it’s more exciting than anyone else.”

Roberto Soldic predicts decisive win for Mikey Musumeci

In a field where size often dominates discussions, Roberto Soldic feels Mikey Musumeci is capable of transcending this limitation. That’s why he is picking the grappling wiz to defeat Aoki at ONE Fight Night 15.

“I see Mikey winning because he’s also strong. I did some clinching with him in Doha [Qatar]. We joked around a little bit, and I saw that, for his weight, he’s really strong in the clinch and full of technique,” Soldic said.

“It’s nice to watch this. You can enjoy what is real. I like grappling, and it’s really hard. It’s really crazy the things that Mikey does and how he’s so calm. He’s a legend in this sport. I don’t see Mikey losing this fight.”

Soldic believes that Musumeci’s mastery will not only hold him in good stead against Aoki, but it might even pave the way for a submission victory.

“I think Mikey is going to finish [Aoki]. This is my prediction because he was born for this sport. He’s very, very dangerous. Triangle, leg locks, rear-naked choke, everything. In every position, he’s a finisher,” he said.