"It's all you out there" - Cole Abate recalls turning point when he decided to throw everything he had at jiu-jitsu

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) phenom Cole Abate fondly remembers exactly when he decided to go all-in on BJJ as the sport in which he would make his name.

In an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, the 20-year-old recounted how he completely fell in love with BJJ during just his second class as a 5-year-old, saying:

"I remember there was a real turning point for me when, at the end of the class, we'd do this sumo game where you'd have to push the person out of the ring. They'd make a little circle with the belts, and you just have to get low and drive the person out. And my professor just kept putting in the higher belts. He kept putting in the better kids, and I just kept driving the kids out."

He continued:

"That was kind of the turning point for me because it's like, even though you play basketball and baseball, you're the athletic kid. You're the star on the team. In jiu-jitsu, you don't need that extra person to make you win or help determine the results of the match or the competition. In jiu-jitsu, it's all you out there."

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Cole Abate set for ONE Championship debut on Dec. 6

After making waves at the highest levels of international BJJ competition, Cole Abate will make his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 26 on Dec. 6, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Welcoming the 2021 ADCC North American Championships gold medalist to ONE is Japanese grappling icon Shinya Aoki, who has squared off against the likes of reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo and former flyweight submission grappling king Mikey Musumeci.

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