Mikey Musumeci Stripped of Title: The Controversy Behind ONE Championship's Decision

Controversy Surrounding Mikey Musumeci's Stripping of Title

What is going on with ONE Championship these days? The mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has faced allegations of benching half its roster during financial turmoil. Even their champions are struggling to secure fights. Still, the Muay Thai and Submission grappling divisions remain popular, although disorganization is evident after ONE stripped its Flyweight grappling champion, Mikey Musumeci, under questionable circumstances.

Mikey, a five-time IBJJF world champion, was initially slated to face Lightweight grappling champion Kade Ruotolo at the upcoming ONE 168 card in Denver, Colorado. However, an injury forced Ruotolo to withdraw, leading ONE to book Bebeto Oliveira to challenge Musumeci for his Flyweight title. With only five days to adjust to the sudden weight cut from 170 pounds to 135 pounds, Musumeci faced an immense challenge.

Stripped of His Title

As anticipated, Musumeci struggled to make weight at the Denver weigh-ins, resulting in him being stripped of his title. Following the weigh-in debacle, a Catchweight bout has been proposed where Oliveira is the only fighter eligible to win the title. Expressing his disappointment, Musumeci wrote on Instagram, "Probably one of the worst days of my life in jiu-jitsu. I wanted so bad to compete in ONE 168 in Denver... I felt horrible to the fans that were coming to see me, and I felt I was letting them down."

Mikey further recounted his efforts to drop the weight within a mere 72 hours, stating, "My body and hydration shut down when I got to 136 earlier today." The promotion's decision to enforce such a stringent weight cut with minimal notice has sparked outrage. Questions loom regarding the fairness of such expectations and whether there's deeper trouble lurking behind the scenes at ONE Championship.

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