"It made me learn a lot about myself" - ONE newcomer Gilbert Nakatani says his innate toughness comes from wrestling background

Gilbert Nakatani, the soon-to-debut ONE Championship flyweight MMA athlete, acknowledged how his experience as a high-level high school wrestler shaped his ability to keep moving forward despite the setbacks he has faced in his life. In an interview with the world's largest martial arts promotion, Nakatani mentioned:

"Individually, as a person, I wanted to push myself to get to the level they were at and be the best I could be and win gold and win as many medals and be on top of the podium."

He continued:

"It really made me learn a lot about myself, you know? Losing, winning, losing, winning, injuries. I just continued to push myself to the next level. I always wanted to get better and level up. It was a blessing. Wrestling changed my life for the better."

After bulldozing through the regional scene by recording six finishes in eight victories, Nakatani is now only a few days away from making his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 26 on Dec. 6.

Welcoming him to the 135-pound MMA division is second-ranked ONE flyweight MMA competitor Yuya Wakamatsu, who possesses outstanding knockout power, much like the 31-year-old American.

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BJJ standouts join Gilbert Nakatani in promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 26

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) megastars Dante Leon and Cole Abate will both make their promotional debut alongside Gilbert Nakatani inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Abate, a 20-year-old phenom who recently won gold at the 2024 IBJJF No-Gi Pan Championship, locks horns with former ONE lightweight MMA world champion and Japanese grappling legend Shinya Aoki.

Meanwhile, two-time ADCC bronze medalist and Canadian standout Leon will share the circle with two-time IBJJF No-Gi World Championship gold medalist Bruno Pucci.

ONE Fight Night 26 will air live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.