Mikey Musumeci moves up in weight to rematch old tormentor Gabriel Sousa at ONE 167

Mikey Musumeci is stepping out of his comfort zone.

The reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion sets his sights on redemption against Gabriel Sousa. For him to attain that, he has to move up to bantamweight.

This 10-minute submission grappling clash takes place at the highly anticipated ONE 167 on Prime Video. The event airs live in U.S. primetime from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.

Musumeci entered ONE Championship with an already illustrious career as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. His list of accolades includes five IBJJF World Championships in both gi and no-gi competitions.

However, his remarkable run in the world’s largest martial arts organization has elevated his status even further.

Since his promotional debut, “Darth Rigatoni” has been on a tear, amassing a flawless 6-0 record. What’s more impressive is that four of those victories came via submission.

In addition, he has successfully defended his World Title three times.

The 27-year-old is coming off a huge victory over the legendary Shinya Aoki in an October 2023 openweight clash.

In the aftermath of this triumph, Musumeci revealed that there were two names on his radar, with Sousa being one of them.

Gabriel Sousa hopes for repeat win over Mikey Musumeci

Lurking in the shadows of Mikey Musumeci’s stellar trajectory is a blemish from his past encounters — a loss to Gabriel Sousa.

Sousa made waves in the grappling world with his victory over Musumeci in 2021. Despite being touted as an underdog, he overcame the odds by submitting his American rival with a uniquely executed choke.

This victory instantly earned the Fortaleza native the right to stand among the elite.

He will look to replicate his previous success and further cement his reputation as a giant slayer in the sport.