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Cole Abate reflected on his "amazing" ONE Championship debut.
On Dec. 6, Abate and Dante Leon made their respective highly-anticipated ONE Championship debuts. Leon secured a triangle armbar finish against Bruno Pucci, while Abate was matched up against Japanese legend Shinya Aoki.
At 20 years old, Abate is widely considered one of the most intriguing rising superstars in ONE Championship. The American showcased his potential against Aoki with a heel hook in under three minutes.
During his post-fight in-ring interview, Abate had this to say about his performance:
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"And 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."
Abate and Leon were two of the three fighters to receive a $50,000 performance bonus at ONE Fight Night 26. The third person to bring home the extra money was Thongpoon PK Saenchai, who secured a first-round knockout against Daniel Williams in the strawweight Muay Thai division.
ONE Fight Night 26 can be re-watched by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. The Dec. 6 event featured the return of Christian Lee, Mayssa Bastos vs. Danielle Kelly 2, and more.
What's next for Cole Abate in ONE Championship?
Cole Abate made a massive splash in the ONE lightweight submission grappling division by taking out Shinya Aoki. Following ONE Fight Night 26, the 20-year-old could be closer to a title shot than expected.
Heading into 2025, lightweight world champion Kade Ruotolo plans to prioritize his MMA aspirations. With that said, the American superstar plans to defend his ONE submission grappling world title at least once.
Abate could be awarded a title shot for his impressive promotional debut. The promotion might also be interested in matching him up against Dante Leon to determine the better of the world-class contenders.
Lastly, ONE Championship might want Abate to acquire more experience before fighting for gold. Chatri Sityodtong and company could sign more fresh talent or match him up against a top contender like Tommy Langaker.
