ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon and flyweight submission grappling king Mikey Musumeci have struck up an unlikely friendship in recent times, and now they could be about to join forces to take on the MMA world.
But first, the pair will share center stage at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7. At ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II, Rodtang will take on Denis Puric in a non-title flyweight kickboxing contest, while Musumeci will move up to bantamweight to face old foe Gabriel Sousa under submission grappling rules.
Sousa was the last man to defeat the American superstar back in 2018. Musumeci has since won 14-straight contests, including six under the ONE banner.
But Musumeci’s Brazilian nemesis has now arrived on the big stage to haunt him once again. Rodtang and Musumeci formed a bond at ONE Fight Night 10 in May 2023, when sharing a weight cut before the Thai superstar defeated Edgar Tabares in the United States – his fourteenth victory in ONE Championship.
They have since shared numerous wholesome videos on social media of their activities together at Rodtang’s house in rural Thailand.
The bromance between Mikey Musumeci and Rodtang
The budding “bro-mance” has also set tongues wagging as fans muse on the prospect of the world’s best flyweight Muay Thai fighter joining forces with the very best submission grappler on the planet.
Could Two MMA Powerhouses Emerge From Mikey Musumeci-Rodtang Jitmuangnon Collab? Rodtang Jitmuangnon says that he and Mikey Musumeci have made a pact to exchange knowledge, should they decide to try their hands at MMA in future.
“If Mikey is going to fight in MMA, I told him he can come to practice Muay Thai with me. I’ll teach him myself. In the future, Mikey said he would teach me MMA in exchange,” he said.
“After my fight with DJ, I didn’t practice any more MMA. I just focused on Muay Thai and kickboxing. But if there’s an opportunity, I’ll wait for Mikey to come. I’ll build a gym and bring Mikey to teach me.”
Musumeci has been sharpening his striking skills in recent months, with a view to a future debut in mixed martial arts.
Rodtang, on the other hand, fought ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Demetrious Johnson in a mixed rules fight that alternated between Muay Thai and MMA rules from round to round.
“Mighty Mouse” emerged victorious by second-round submission under his preferred rule set, showing that there is room for improvement in Rodtang’s grappling game.