“It’s everything that I’ve dreamed of” - Cole Abate overwhelmed by the love and support he received after rousing ONE debut

Cole Abate appreciates all the love and support he's received in the days since his ONE Championship debut.

The 20-year-old BJJ sensation introduced himself to ONE fans inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Dec. 6, scoring a quick-fire submission victory over Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight Night 26 on Prime Video.

Abate scored a slick heel hook submission over 'Tobikan Judan' on the night. Days later, he returned to the mat at the IBJJF World Championships in Las Vegas and walked away with his first gold medal as a black belt.

It was an emotional weekend for the young jiu-jitsu star — one that was made all the better by the overwhelming show of support he received from friends, family, and fans.

"It’s everything that I’ve dreamed of, but I was just happy to see the amount of support I had today," Abate told FloGrappling. "I always thought about how’s it gonna feel when you get your hands raised, when they put the medal on you, and all that stuff is great.

He added:

"But seeing the smiles, seeing the tears on everybody that loves and support me and getting compliments from people that I met years ago or I’m meeting for the first time, they’re just coming in and saying ‘you’re really setting the path and I really really enjoy what you’re doing,’ and that’s what means the most."

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Cole Abate hopes to be the leader of American BJJ one day

With a successful ONE debut and an IBJJF world championship in the bag, 'Ice' hopes this is just the beginning of a path that will eventually lead him to be the figurehead of American jiu-jitsu.

"We don’t really have a prime representative of the USA. We US competitors, we have Americans all the time, but you see Brazilians all the time raising up their flag and showing love for their country. And I feel like I’m just gonna set an example and be a frontrunner for the USA and I like representing jiu-jitsu for us."

Are you excited to see what Abate does next on martial arts' biggest global stage in 2025?

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.