Flyweight submission grappling world champ Mikey Musumeci relishes experience of training Muay Thai: “I love the energy”

For Mikey Musumeci, the latest chapter in his martial arts journey involved stepping into the world of Muay Thai.

This foray took the reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion to the heart of the discipline’s homeland — Thailand. There, he had the privilege of learning from some of the nation’s finest strikers.

Notably, he trained alongside former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama. “Darth Rigatoni” also spent time at the world-renowned PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym.

This experience allowed Musumeci to find renewed inspiration and motivation.

“My favorite thing when I was living in Thailand the past two months was hanging out at PK Saenchai because it was all up-and-coming, young, hungry fighters, and they were all at the gym grinding together,” he said,

“So whenever I was there, I would feel their energy of that grinding, tough feeling.”

While Musumeci acknowledges that he won’t be throwing punches or kicks anytime soon, he is keen on incorporating the mindset cultivated in Muay Thai into his regimen as a grappler.

“Everyone is showing up every day to train, so why are you not? You should be there also, so it makes you motivated,” he said.

“I love the energy of the Muay Thai people, and I try to have that energy with jiu-jitsu.”

Mikey Musumeci reveals Muay Thai as key to improving endurance

Beyond the mental and strategic benefits, Mikey Musumeci sees his Muay Thai training as a catalyst for elevating his overall fitness level.

“Muay Thai is the best for conditioning. So that’s my next secret that I’m gonna use for my conditioning for jiu-jitsu. You do Muay Thai, and then jiu-jitsu feels like the easiest thing ever,” he said.

For Musumeci, this cross-disciplinary training isn’t just a means of diversifying his skill set. It’s also a holistic approach to his athletic development.

“It’s like pure power and sprints. Every punch and kick is 100 percent power. So then you do jiu-jitsu training and you’re laughing. There’s nothing harder than that on your body,” he finished.