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Tom Taylor

Mikey Musumeci and Osamah Almarwai are both determined to entertain fans in their coming ONE Championship grappling title fight.
Musumeci, the promotion’s reigning flyweight champion, will attempt to defend his belt against Yemen’s Almarwai at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5 in Denver, Colorado – the promotion’s debut on US soil.
The 26-year-old American always feels a responsibility to make his matches exciting, but feels more onus to entertain than ever ahead of ONE’s first event in his home country.


“Me and [Almarwai] have a huge responsibility,” he told the Post on Tuesday. “Jiu jitsu can be boring to people that don’t know jiu jitsu.
“It’s the first card in the US and we’re the co-main event of this card in the US, with all MMA fans, so we cannot have a boring match.”
While Musumeci is feeling the pressure, he is not letting it get to him.
In fact, he is adamant that pressure has only ever made him better, and does not see that changing ahead of his title defence in Denver.

“I feel a responsibility, but I’ve learned to live with it and use it as fuel,” he said. “It makes you even more hungry if you use it right.
“It can destroy you. If the pressure gets too heavy and you let it break you, you just want to quit. A lot of people break from pressure. That’s something I’ve noticed about people.
“I feel like one gift I’ve always had is, whenever I get more pressure, it brings out a better version of me. I’m excited to see how I’m able to perform with this pressure. It’s going to push me.”
Almarwai, 30, also feels the weight of responsibility ahead of his bid for grappling gold opposite Musumeci – not only to entertain the fans, but to represent his home country and the larger Middle East.












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A post shared by Osamah Almarwai أسامة المروعي (@osamahalmarwai)



“I feel there’s a lot of pressure for us to represent grappling, represent jiu jitsu.” he told the Post on Thursday. “We have to make an exciting show. We’re representatives of the sport. We have to hunt for submissions.”
“I’m also representing my country – not only my country but my region. I have a lot people messaging me from the UAE, Saudi [Arabia], Yemen, Qatar, Tunisia, a lot of different countries. They’re proud of me and they’re supporting me. I feel there’s a lot of pressure on me and I’m representing all of them.
“I have people messaging me from the Middle East saying you inspired my kid. I didn’t know I had that kind of impact.”
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Almarwai will be making his ONE debut against Musumeci. Despite being the less experienced grappler in the match-up, he is confident that he and his coach, legendary BJJ black belt Andre Galvao, have come up with a game plan that will lead to a submission win – and the belt.
“We’ve been studying him a lot – my whole team,” he said. “I’ve seen vulnerabilities.
“It’s not going to be easy to submit Mikey, I’m not saying this, but I believe in myself, I believe in my team, I believe in my training, and I’m confident I can get the tap.”
Musumeci is also confident in his chances after a successful training camp split between Singapore and Las Vegas.

“I obsess about this every second and I’m excited to see what he brings to the cage and if I have the answers for it,” he said.
While Musumeci and Almarwai are adversaries for the time being, they are bound by their determination to put on a show for the fans in Denver, and those tuning in on screens around the world.
That, the two black belts agree, should lead to an exciting match-up.
“When I go out in this match I’m just going to sprint at him,” Musumeci said. “I expect him to do the same … Kill or be killed. That’s the mindset.’
“He’s a submission hunter and I’m a submission hunter as well,” Almarwai agreed. “I’m sure our match is going to be one of the most exciting, if not the most exciting, on May 5.”


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Mikey Musumeci attacks a leg lock against Gantumur Bayanduuren at ONE Fight Night 6. Photos: ONE Championship.

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Stamp Fairtex and Jihin Radzuan (left) pose at Fairtex Training Centre in Pattaya. Photo: Instagram/@stamp_fairtex

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Sport

Martial Arts

Grappling

Musumeci will defend belt against Almarwai at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5 in Denver – the promotion’s first event on US soil
American champ’s Yemeni challenger agrees ‘we have to make an exciting show’ in flyweight submission grappling title fight


Mikey Musumeci and Osamah Almarwai agree they must put on exciting show for ONE Championship fans in flyweight submission grappling title fight on May 5 in Denver, Colorado.


Jiu-jitsu