“Beat him at the leg attacks” - BJJ phenom Cole Abate says he was determined to beat Shinya Aoki at his own game in Bangkok

Cole Abate always wanted an absolute showing in his ONE Championship debut, and he did just that when he faced off against the legendary Shinya Aoki this past weekend.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom secured a sublime heel hook submission finish over the Japanese icon at ONE Fight Night 26 this past weekend at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Abate admitted that he was determined to capture a leg lock finish over the man who revolutionized the technique in MMA.

Aoki's nickname is 'Tobikan Judan' or the Master of Flying Submissions due to his brutality and creativity with his BJJ, and it was this legendary status that motivated Abate to do the unthinkable in Bangkok.

Cole Abate said:

"My goal going in was to try to beat him at the leg attacks. I was able to get to my guard, shot up a triangle, that triangle attempt kinda made him hesitate a little bit more moving forward. Then he eventually exposed his leg, and then that's when I captured an outside heel hook."

The 20-year-old is one of the best young stars in the submission grappling landscape, holding impressive wins in the IBJJF No Gi Pan Championships and the ADCC US Trials.

Abate was also the youngest ADCC Trials winner when he, as a 16-year-old, dominated the field in 2021.

'Ice' Cole is now determined to push his name on the global stage, and a submission win over the ONE lightweight MMA world champion is one huge way to start his potential dominance in the sport.

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

---

Cole Abate feels honored to secure ONE Championship debut win over Shinya Aoki

As an astute student of the game, Cole Abate knows the magnitude of what he pulled off in his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 26.

Abate didn't just beat the legendary Shinya Aoki, but he submitted the former ONE lightweight MMA world champion with a heel hook that the Japanese icon popularized in MMA.

In his in-ring interview with ONE Championship commentator Mitch Chilson, Abate said:

"It feels amazing. I always say I'm a student of the game so I'm always studying, always looking to evolve my game, and he's somebody that I've watched over the years especially having there being submissions named after him, I mean it doesn't get much better than that."