Mikey Musumeci Returns to No-Gi Competition, Will Face Lucas Pinheiro at WNO

It looks like Mikey Musumeci’s move to no-gi competition might stick. Musumeci is scheduled to face no-gi Pans champion Lucas Pinheiro at Who’s Number One (WNO) on May 28. FloGrappling announced the match.

This match comes just a couple months after Musumeci defeated Marcelo Cohen at another WNO event. That was Musumeci’s first no-gi jiu-jitsu match in five years, and it was a match he largely dominated from start to finish, winning by triangle armbar.

Although Mikey Musumeci won his first black belt world championship in no-gi, he is best known for his gi game. He was a three-time world champion in the gi from 2017 through 2019, often relying on his berimbolo and ankle lock game. Musumeci’s game seem to translate well to no-gi against Cohen, as he used the threat of a leg lock to gain top position where he patiently passed the guard before setting up the finishing submission.

Lucas Pinheiro was arguably the best light featherweight jiu-jitsu player in 2020, winning the gi and no-gi Pans. In contrast to Musumeci’s guard-heavy approach to jiu-jitsu, Pinheiro is known for his pressure passing. The pair has met before in the finals of the 2016 Pans (in the gi), with Musumeci earning a win by points.

WNO will be headlined by match-up between Gordon Ryan and Luiz Panza.

How to watch: WNO will take place on May 28, 2021, and will air live on FloGrappling (subscription required).

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and holds the rank of black belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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