"I've never been in an arena that has such impactful energy" - Dante Leon says Lumpinee atmosphere was beyond the ordinary

Dante Leon had high expectations to try and live up to ahead of his ONE Championship debut.

The 29-year-old has already achieved a lot during his submission grappling career at the elite level.

As one of the newest additions to the ONE roster, the Canadian was set to make his debut in a lightweight contest at ONE Fight Night 26.

The promotion's final Fight Night of the year on Dec. 6 took place at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Here, Leon put on a show by needing just over two minutes to submit Brazil's Bruno Pucci to announce his arrival in his new home.

A slick back take and submission showed exactly why he is such a highly regarded and exciting competitor who has big aspirations for his time in ONE.

In an interview with ONE Championship after getting his hand raised, Leon reflected on the experience of making the walk at Lumpinee for the first time. The legendary venue creates an atmosphere unlike any other and that's something he was glad to feel first-hand:

"I've never been in an arena that has such impactful energy as this stadium does. It feels like the fans are on top of you, and not in a bad way."

---

This is just the start for Dante Leon

This isn't likely to be the only time that Dante Leon competes at the Mecca of Muay Thai in Bangkok, Thailand.

Lumpinee Stadium has become a home away from home for ONE Championship, and some of the promotion's biggest submission grappling clashes have taken place there.

Leon will look to build on this impressive debut by racking up more wins in the lightweight division. He's also well known for finding success against larger opponents so that's not off the table for him either.