Submission grappling will be back under the spotlight when ONE Championship returns to Bangkok on Friday, August 4, for ONE Fight Night 13.
This time, the MMA world champion will try his hand at upsetting one of the pound-for-pound best submission aces on the planet. ONE Strawweight World Champion Jarred Brooks will take on ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci in the co-main event of the evening.
“The Monkey God” Steps Up
Although “The Monkey God” is excited about the opportunity, it was not something he had in his plans until a chance meeting on Instagram occurred with ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. Seeing the chance to shoot his shot, Brooks said he’d step up against Musumeci.
His wish was granted.
“This fight got presented to me about five days ago,” Brooks told ONE. “I was on Instagram when Chatri was on Instagram Live, and I was like, ‘Me versus Mikey.’ I felt like I would’ve had six months to get ready for Mikey. It was a little bit sooner for me, but the whole world can see even on three weeks’ notice that I can go in and possibly beat the best submission artist ever.”
Becoming a two-sport World Champion would be a massive boost for the strawweight king. And Brooks is very aware of what it could do for his career. With a vision to seize control of his career, Brooks is preparing to shock the world on August 4 inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
“Man, if I can beat Mikey Musumeci at his own game and beat him for the flyweight title, I think that I can start to call my own shots as far as doing these mixed-rules contests and stuff like that,” Brooks said. “I’m trying to take over ONE Championship. I put it all on the line every time. And it doesn’t matter who it is or who it’s up against. I’m going to show the whole world that nobody can face me and get out of there a winner.”
No matter his level of confidence, Brooks will enter as a significant underdog against “Darth Rigatoni.” Musumeci has been impeccable in ONE action with brutalizing submissions and awe-inspiring technique. However, “The Monkey God” believes ONE’s submission grappling rules will give him a chance to take home the gold.
“I think that I will be most successful on the feet,” Brooks stated. “We’re starting on the feet, and it’s not like he can butt-scoot towards me. I’m just going to be as athletic as possible. The dude doesn’t get really submitted. So the only way I see myself submitting him is getting something quick. My speed, my agility, and my athleticism are going to play a big factor in this.”
Nothing to Lose
Win or lose, the ONE Strawweight World Champion is coming to Bangkok to put on a show. While he is making sure his defensive skills are up to par, the 30-year-old father-to-be is looking to turn the grappling contest into a gritty affair. “The Monkey God” promises to bring the heat against his pasta-loving foe.
“He’s known as the best grappler of all time, so I think that he’s good everywhere,” Brooks said. “When he grabs onto something, you’ve got to make sure that you’re twisting out of it quick, making sure that your knee line gets out of his hip line. So they’re the things that I’m looking at as far as what Mikey has advantages in, but I’m telling you, I’ve got a lot of surprises up my sleeve. I’m not doing a jiu-jitsu match. He calls this a match. I’m fighting with this kid. I’m turning a jiu-jitsu match into a fight.”
ONE Fight Night 13 will air live on Friday, August 4, on Prime Video. The action will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all U.S. and Canadian Prime Video subscribers.
