Mikey Musumeci might be the current best pound-for-pound grappler in the gi on the planet. On March 26 at Who’s Number One (WNO), Musumeci will return to no-gi competition for the first time in five years when he faces Marcelo Cohen.
It’s worth noting that this won’t be Musumeci’s first foray into no-gi competition; he won his first black belt world championship in 2016 at the IBJJF no-gi worlds. Since then, though, he has focused his efforts on gi competition and been nothing short of dominant, winning the IBJJF world championships at his weight class in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
For his part, Cohen was a 2016 IBJJF no-gi Pans champion and a 2017 no-gi American Nationals champion.
Obviously, Musumeci is a supremely talented grappler. But will his gi game, which is heavy on gi-specific techniques like berimbolos and crab rides, translate to no-gi? And in a broader sense, how will Musumeci’s IBJJF and points-based experience translate into a submission-only format like WNO? And will Musumeci continue to compete in no-gi, or is this a one-off competition?
Who’s Number One takes place on March 26 and will air exclusively on Flo Grappling. Nick Rodriguez vs. Yuri Simoes and Gordon Ryan vs. Vagner Rocha were previously announced for the event.
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