Jiu-jitsu star Mikey Musumeci has officially announced his participation in the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) for 2024, just a week after stating he was unable to compete due to contractual obligations with ONE Championship.
The announcement came via a promotional image shared on social media, featuring Musumeci smiling confidently against a backdrop of U.S. currency. The image, part of the 2024 Craig Jones Invitational promotion, boldly declares “SUPERFIGHT MIKEY MUSUMECI JOINS CJI.”
This revelation stands in stark contrast to Musumeci’s recent interview with Ariel Helwani, where he expressed a strong desire to participate in Craig Jones’ event but claimed his ONE Championship contract prevented him from doing so. During that interview, Musumeci had stated, “I was like really petitioning please please please but no. I wanted to do his event but I’m not allowed.”
The sudden change has created a buzz in the grappling community, with fans and fellow athletes reacting enthusiastically on social media. Gabi Garcia commented, “Yeah good morning miata,” while another user, bjjdamien, speculated on Musumeci’s potential performance, saying, “He’s gonna ‘beat someone easy as F**K!'”
As the grappling community eagerly awaits more details, Musumeci’s participation promises to significantly boost the profile of the Craig Jones Invitational, adding star power to what is shaping up to be a must-watch event in the 2024 submission grappling calendar.
Musumeci was never slated to be an ADCC competitor due to the fact Smallest Men’s division at ADCC is upto 66 kilogram (145lbs) – and Musumeci frequently competes at upto 57kg, upto 61kg divisions.
Musumeci also has a highly anticipated submission grappling match on the books. He is officially set for ONE 168: Denver. On Friday, September 6, current ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey “Darth Rigatoni” Musumeci will challenge Kade Ruotolo for the gold in a super-fight at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Ruotolo was the -77kg champion at ADCC so Musumeci is expected to give up quite a bit of a weight in the challenge.
Many fans are speculating who Musumeci will face at CJI.
