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29-year-old Canadian BJJ star Dante Leon is getting ready to make his highly anticipated debut in the world's largest martial arts organization.
Leon signed with ONE Championship a couple of months ago and was almost immediately booked to make his first appearance in the ring, which happens this weekend.
Ahead of his first match in the ONE Championship ring, Leon talked extensively about his come-up, first as a young purple belt, and also dealing with adversity at a time in his career when he experienced a few setbacks.
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He told the promotion in a recent interview:
"That was kind of the toughest time of my competitive life, I would say. Can’t really put my finger on a reason. It’s kind of a turning point in your life. You’re going from being a kid basically to now you’re – you’re not a man yet, if you’re 18 or 19, but you grow up a little bit. It’s time for you to be on your own."
Leon added:
"You don’t have to explain to anybody when you’re leaving or why you’re leaving or what time you’re gonna be home. You can kinda do your own thing. So, it was an adjustment period for me as far as managing being a professional athlete and managing everything else and being a little bit immature."
Today, Leon is one of the most talented grapplers in the sport, and he's getting ready to make his ONE debut.
Dante Leon faces Bruno Pucci in first ONE Championship match at ONE Fight Night 26 on Prime Video
29-year-old Dante Leon is set to face mixed martial arts fighter and BJJ black belt Bruno Pucci in his ONE Championship debut.
The two will fight at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov on Prime Video, which will broadcast live in U.S. primetime this Friday, December 6. The event will be held at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event.
