"That should be fun" - Cole Abate wants to experience the Aoki Lock against its creator

Cole Abate, ONE Championship's latest signee to its submission grappling ranks, is unafraid of former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Shinya Aoki's renowned Aoki Lock ahead of their clash at ONE Fight Night 26 on Friday, Dec. 6. In fact, Abate is excited to trade holds with him.

In an interview with the world's largest martial arts promotion, the 20-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) prodigy stated:

"Knowing that there's a submission named after the guy, you know exactly what to avoid. That should be fun. I like leg attacks as well. So if we do get into an exchange where we're both looking to finish each other, it'll be cool getting to share the mat with somebody that has their own submission named after them."

Abate's desire to showcase his abilities by trading leg locks with Aoki is understandable because he wants to make an immediate impact in ONE. However, he could be getting more than what he asked for.

With Aoki having earned 11 submission wins in 14 MMA and submission grappling victories under the ONE banner, fans can expect 'Tobikan Judan' to hunt for the finish inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Cole Abate applauds his gym's commitment to young BJJ stars

Cole Abate applauded the efforts of Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy, the gym he represents, for fostering the next generation of BJJ stars — including himself. 'Ice' said in a separate interview with ONE:

"I saw what they were doing at AoJ, and I've always really admired it. They were investing in the younger generations more than the Black Belt World Champions because they were thinking in the future. They were thinking more about building a system that would run smoothly for years to come."

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