"Set the best example" - Cole Abate aims to inspire 'the mini-black belts' in his gym following gold medal at No-Gi worlds

At 20 years old, Cole Abate is already motivated to be a role model for younger competitors in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world.

The rising star has already accomplished so much in his career, and while he's clearly a gifted athlete, he has worked incredibly hard to turn potential into reality.

He has been able to really commit to this single-minded pursuit and it's results like his recent success that make it all worth it.

Cole Abate recently won his first world title as a black belt at the No-Gi worlds and though this was an incredibly proud moment for him, he hopes that it can inspire others.

The ONE Championship athlete spoke in an interview with FloGrappling after the victory about the ripple effect that he hopes triumphs like this have down onto the young people that he coaches back at his home gym:

"I teach so many kids back home at Art of Jiu-Jitsu, you guys see them all the time. These are the mini-black belts that are wearing grey and yellow belts. You know those kids are gonna be the next champion, so I'm just trying to set the best example I can be for them, let them know what it takes to get to the top, and help them every step of the way."

---

Cole Abate is still only scratching the surface

Cole Abate still has so many years at the top of submission grappling ahead of him.

It's a testament to his dedication and hard work that he has been able to climb this high at such a young age while handling his responsibilities as a coach.

Having recently made his debut with ONE Championship where he submitted Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight Night 26, the future is incredibly bright for Abate.

ONE fans will get to see him continue to grow and evolve into an elite talent in the coming years, and should he continue ascending to the top of the roster, a dream world title matchup should be on the cards for the BJJ black belt.