“A history that goes way, way back” - Dante Leon reveals why he wants to face former world title contender Tommy Langaker next

Dante Leon is on a mission to face off against his division's best fighters before he takes his shot at ONE Championship gold.

The Canadian superstar is coming off a stellar ONE Championship debut. He submitted multi-time BJJ world champion Bruno Pucci in their lightweight submission grappling matchup at ONE Fight Night 26 at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

Leon submitted Pucci with a surgical triangle armbar 2:01 into their match in Bangkok.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Leon didn't waste time in calling out the one person he wants to face next inside the circle.

Dante Leon singled out former world title contender Tommy Langaker as his preferred opponent as he starts his charge to the ONE lightweight submission grappling throne.

He said:

"Somebody who I think is a great match for my next match would be Tommy Langaker. He and I have a very short history, but a history that goes way, way back.”

Langaker is one of this generation's best submission grapplers and faced Kade Ruotolo for the ONE lightweight submission grappling world title, twice, at ONE Fight Night 11 and ONE 165.

The Norwegian star also holds a victory over Leon when they squared off in the 2018 IBJJF Pan American championships.

Now that both he and Langaker are under the ONE Championship fold, Leon will stop at nothing to avenge that defeat.

ONE Fight Night 26 is available on free replay to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Dante Leon proud to prove his hype in impressive ONE Championship debut

Dante Leon is one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists in the current generation, and his arrival to ONE Championship brought with it considerable hype.

The multi-time BJJ world champion, however, quickly proved that he was worth every ounce of excitement when he submitted Bruno Pucci in just a couple of minutes into the match.

Leon not only secured the debut submission win, he also collected a cool $50,000 bonus from ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

In his post-fight interview, Leon said he was proud to showcase what he can do on the global stage:

"Understanding the bonus is earned by you know, not only just to finish, but by showing technical superiority, by showing control, by showing things that are above and beyond, heart, determination, things like that. So this is something that I embody on every level."