“Feel inspired by it” - Cole Abate hopes to be a beacon of hope for all young aspiring grapplers to chase greatness 

BJJ sensation Cole Abate hopes to inspire the next generation of superstar submission grapplers. After topping the podium at the IBJJF American Nationals and Worlds in 2022, Abate made his highly anticipated promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 26 inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.

There, the 20-year-old squared off with Japanese combat sports icon Shinya Aoki in what would be a true test of his skill on the global stage. Needless to say, Abate passed the test with flying colors, submitting Aoki via heel hook in less than two and a half minutes.

While Abate is still coming into his own as a professional athlete, he hopes that what he has and hopes to accomplish will encourage other young athletes to pursue their dreams and craft their own success stories in the sport.

"I was one of the first professional athletes coming up as a kid and over the years there's been much that I've gone through and I feel like now that's all just a result of that," Abate said during his ONE Fight Night 26 post-fight interview. "So when they watch me, hopefully, they can see that story, feel inspired by it, and be able to relate to it."

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Mayssa Bastos congratulates Cole Abate on impressive ONE Championship debut

Also competing at ONE Fight Night 26 and representing the Art of Jiu-Jitsu gym out of Costa Mesa, California was Mayssa Bastos — teammate to Cole Abate and reigning ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion.

Following Bastos' first successful title defense against former champion Danielle Kelly, the Brazilian congratulated Abate on his successful ONE debut.

"I want to congratulate my teammate and professor Cole [Abate], he just won today. And my other teammate who helped me with training. So yeah, I just want to thank everyone who was by my side daily and who cheered for me."

What's next for Abate and Bastos remains to be seen, but it looks like ONE Championship has a couple of budding superstars in its ever-expanding submission grappling division.

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 26 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.