Mikey Musumeci

Michael Musumeci Jr., better known as Mikey Musumeci, was born on July 7, 1996 in Marlboro, New Jersey. He began Brazilian jiu-jitsu at age four alongside his sister Tammi at Fatjo's Martial Arts Academy under Fernando "Cabeca" and continued after his family moved to Florida when he was ten. His youth training path moved through Marcelo Ribeiro's academy, Emyr "Shark" Bussade at American Top Team, Javill Byron at WMB Miami, and repeated study with Rafael and Guilherme Mendes, whose Art of Jiu Jitsu system became a major influence on his guard, berimbolo, and crab-ride game.

Musumeci won IBJJF world titles at every belt level from juvenile blue through brown. Guilherme Mendes awarded him his brown belt on the podium after his 2014 purple-belt world title, and in 2015, after winning the brown-belt World Championship, he received his black belt at 18 in a joint promotion from Jonatas "Tagarela" Gurgel and Gilbert "Durinho" Burns. He later spent important training periods with Caio Terra, Heath Pedigo and Pedigo Submission Fighting, Evolve MMA in Singapore, and Cobrinha BJJ.

At black belt he became one of the most successful American gi competitors in history. Musumeci won the 2016 IBJJF Pan Championship and World No-Gi Championship, added the 2017 AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro, and captured IBJJF gi World Championship gold in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. Those wins made him the first American male black belt to win multiple IBJJF World titles, and his 2019 final victory over Rodnei Barbosa is widely cited as the fastest submission in an adult male black-belt Worlds final.

His no-gi career expanded the same technical identity rather than replacing it. Musumeci won the inaugural WNO bantamweight title in 2021 with the leg lock now commonly called the Mikey Lock, defended it against Estevan Martinez, and then signed with ONE Championship in 2022. In ONE he submitted Masakazu Imanari in his promotional debut, beat Cleber Sousa by decision to become the inaugural ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion, and defended that belt against Gantumur Bayanduuren, Osamah Almarwai, and Jarred Brooks before defeating Shinya Aoki with an Aoki lock in an openweight bout.

After his ONE run, including a 2024 submission win over Gabriel Sousa, Musumeci moved into the UFC Fight Pass / UFC BJJ ecosystem. He won the inaugural UFC BJJ bantamweight title in 2025 and entered 2026 still active as one of the sport's most visible submission grapplers. His public persona blends a soft-spoken, pasta-loving "Darth Rigatoni" brand with an unusually deep technical system built around open guard, berimbolo back takes, ankle locks, heel hooks, and calf-slicer variations.