Musumeci and Sousa had two matches prior and were razor close. The first bout was nearly a tie as no points were scored when the time expired. The bout was left to the referee’s decision, which narrowly went to Sousa. The second bout saw Musumeci avenging his loss by besting the Brazilian by a narrow 2-point lead.
Now, under bright lights and in front of a global audience, Mikey Musumeci and Cleber Sousa will look to settle the score - with world championship gold on the line. In an interview with ONE Championship, Musumeci spoke about his preparations for the September 30 clash:
It must be pointed out that this rubber match will be significantly different from the first two bouts between Mikey Musumeci and Cleber Sousa. Their previous battles were fought while wearing a gi, while this one will be fought in No-Gi. Also, there will be no points system in this third match. The only ways to win are via submission or by having the highest number of legitimate submission attempts once time expires.
These changes may present new dynamics to their match, making it more exciting and compelling to watch.
Mikey Musumeci recalls his loss to Cleber Sousa
In another interview with ONE Championship, Mikey Musumeci admitted that his loss to Cleber Sousa back in 2017 was one of his toughest matches ever. Sousa seemingly had unlimited cardio to withstand and repel all of Musumeci’s submission attempts. ‘Darth Rigatoni’ said:
In their Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championship match, ‘Clandestino’ displayed incredible heart, endurance, and stamina while repelling Musumeci’s constant pressure. After a back-and-forth scrap, Sousa took the referee’s decision to get the win.
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