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Former ONE Championship grappling champion Mikey Musumeci was the primary grappler to signal an unique deal to compete at UFC Struggle Go Invitational, and he headlines the Dec. 5 present in Las Vegas in opposition to Felipe Machado, a person on a mission to steal the present throughout UFC 310 struggle week.
“Dana White is beginning to look extra on the Struggle Go Invitational and we all know that when Dana White touches one thing, it occurs,” Machado mentioned in an interview with MMA Preventing. “And with all of the potential that grappling has, I feel it’s going to be good for everyone concerned. I’m honored to be a part of this new starting and to be combating Mikey Musumeci, however I’m coming to spoil the occasion [laughs].”
Machado, a leg lock specialist who has claimed gold medals within the IBJJF Brazilian and South American no-gi champioships, mentioned “I by no means really feel stress.” Musumeci, however, admitted “I have so much f***ing pressure this time” for the reason that card was mainly constructed round him.
“More often than not I prefer to carry stress to myself even after I don’t have any,” Machado mentioned. “Once I fought Diogo Reis this yr, a two-time ADCC champion, I promoted the match… I used to be a giant underdog, I positioned third within the ADCC Trials and he gained it twice, however I introduced the stress to myself. ‘I’ll beat you. I’ll do that, I’ll do this.’ I actually believed that, and I like that stress. In opposition to Musumeci now, I’m so in shock by the chance to be headlining this card within the UFC in opposition to a man with a lot media, 700,000 followers on Instagram, that I haven’t even thought of stress but. This match is a life- and career-changing second for me.
“However, yeah, I do assume it’s [extra pressure] for him, and I do assume he could make many errors due to that stress. I’ve to sport plans for this match, if he feels the stress or not. He needs to placed on a fantastic struggle and get the end, to carry out effectively, and if the match begins and he can’t do the issues he was planning, perhaps he begins to get flustered. If he takes that stress to the match, I’ve a technique to work on these errors he makes.”
“I for one don’t care about the results of a match,” he continued. “I by no means carry that stress over me to win. I simply need to carry out. Typically I’ve misplaced however carried out so effectively I left greater than I got here in. Typically you’d slightly lose with a very good efficiency than win with a boring efficiency that provides nothing to your profession. Each time I fought, I got here out greater.”
In contrast to his opponent, Machado didn’t signal an unique cope with the UFC going into his match, so a victory over Musumeci would increase his worth as a free company. He celebrates being paid greater than ever earlier than, however is aware of Musumeci’s purse is manner larger than his.
“And [the pay] will solely develop increasingly,” Machado mentioned. “They may take a look at [the format] and see the way it goes, and I feel the success of this occasion will make them pay extra. I don’t assume my purse is the one of many highest, however it’s already larger than the whole lot I’ve ever had.”
