Mikey Musumeci shared the alarming particulars surrounding the harm that took him out of ONE Championship’s return to ‘The Mile High City’ in September.
Reigning because the ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion, Musumeci was scheduled to sq. off with ADCC and CJI Invitational winner Kade Ruotolo at ONE 168. Sadly, Ruotolo was pressured to bow out of the bout after sustaining accidents throughout his $1 million run on the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational weeks earlier.
Consequently, Musumeci was as an alternative booked to defend his flyweight title in opposition to Bebeto Oliveira on the occasion. The one drawback was, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ was by no means scheduled to defend his title. As an alternative, he was scheduled to maneuver up three weight lessons and problem Ruotolo for his ONE light-weight submission grappling crown.
With a brand new opponent and solely per week to chop a whopping 35 kilos, Musumeci instantly started working. Sadly, he’d by no means make it to battle evening. Musumeci missed weight and was subsequently stripped of his flyweight title. Weeks later, he exited ONE Championship.
Showing on The Ariel Helwani Present, Musumeci shed some mild on the scenario and revealed that he was affected by a really uncommon and life threatening sickness whereas making an attempt to chop the load for ONE 168.
“So, basically, they offered me another opponent at 178 pounds,” Musumeci mentioned. “I needed to be a minimal of, I imagine, like 165 or 160-something, however I stroll round rather a lot lighter. I couldn’t legally make that weight due to the Athletic Fee guidelines. I advised them, ‘I can’t make that weight,’ so I most well-liked to simply follow my division.
“On the time, I used to be very mild. I might’ve made 135 kilos, no drawback. However then the lung harm occurred, which none of us knew about on the time. I solely had two days to make weight, whereas I often want at the least per week. The evening earlier than the match, at weigh-ins, I used to be 140 kilos hydrated. The battle was set at 135 kilos. That evening, I sustained the harm, which turned out to be referred to as pneumomediastinum.
“It’s when your lung tears, and air leaks into your throat. I used to be making an attempt to sweat and stored telling my buddies, ‘What is wrong with my throat? It feels so sore.’ It felt like crispy bubbles in my throat. All of us thought I used to be simply dehydrated or dizzy. However I knew one thing felt off.
“I also tried a different style of cutting weight since I had only two days,” Musumeci continued. “I drank lots of electrolytes, considering it could assist with the hydration take a look at. In ONE Championship, they use a gravity take a look at to verify the sodium degree in your urine. If it’s above 1.0250, you fail hydration. I believed consuming electrolytes would maintain my ranges balanced. However when the lung challenge occurred, my physique shut down. I couldn’t sweat anymore and have become tremendous dizzy. My urine had a lot sodium from the electrolytes that I couldn’t flush it out, even after consuming three gallons of water. Every part acquired caught in my abdomen.
“At that point, I felt something was really wrong and decided to go to the hospital. It turned out I was incredibly lucky not to have fought. The doctor said my lung would have collapsed in one minute, and I could have died.”
Mikey Musumeci explains why he left ONE Championship
Based on Musumeci, the situation often accounts for one in each 42,000 hospital instances.
“I was there for three or four days,” Musumeci added. “When I left, I couldn’t elevate my heart rate or breathe heavily for two weeks. Even walking made me feel weird. It was scary.”
Musumeci being pressured to chop a lot weight in such a brief span sparked outrage from battle followers who lambasted ONE Championship for placing the New Jersey native in an nearly unimaginable scenario after which proceeded to strip him of his ONE flyweight submission grappling title when he couldn’t hit the mark.
Explaining why he determined to depart ONE, Musumeci appeared to carry no animosity towards the group or it’s CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, who he describes as a parental determine.
Musumeci has since signed a landmark take care of the UFC and is scheduled to make his debut at UFC Combat Cross Invitational 9 on December 5. ‘Darth Rigatoni’ will tackle Felipe Machado on the occasion.
