"All of this has built up to this point" - Cole Abate says hard work paid off after submitting Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight Night 26

At just 20 years old, Cole Abate is one of the most exciting rising stars in submission grappling right now.

Though he was able to prove that once again on his ONE Championship debut, he's keen to remind people that this success didn't happen overnight.

Abate has already accomplished so much in his young career but in many ways, he's only just getting started.

This is also the case for his time in ONE after he submitted Japanese legend Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight Night 26 to open his account with the promotion.

The exciting lightweight contender may have just arrived in ONE so that he can showcase his skills on the global stage but this was a moment and opportunity that he has spent many years working on.

Cole Abate is certainly a young and exciting phenom but he's put the time and work in to reach this stage.

During his in-ring interview with Mitch Chilson after getting his hand raised at Lumpinee Stadium on Dec. 6, he spoke about the journey that he has been on thus far in his career:

"But I've been working for so long ever since I was a kid. All of this has built up until this point, I'm just happy to be here."

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The future is bright for Cole Abate

Earning a debut win against an MMA grappling legend is just the start for Cole Abate and his time in ONE Championship.

Submitting Shinya Aoki at the final Fight Night event of the year was a great way for him to kick off his run in the promotion but this isn't his absolute pinnacle just yet.

Though he said that everything has built to this point, Abate will continue to progress forward and it's clear to see that he hasn't lost the drive and hunger that has helped him reach this stage.