"That was pretty nice" - Cole Abate on beating BJJ specialist Shinya Aoki at his own game at ONE Fight Night 26 

BJJ phenom Cole Abate feels stoked about defeating grappling legend Shinya Aoki in his debut fight.

The 20-year-old Brazilian showed he's got the chops to compete at the highest level when he utilized the "Aoki lock" against Shinya to score a quick victory at ONE Fight Night 26.

Reliving the past events during the in-ring interviews with Mitch Chilson, Abate couldn't help but express a sense of honor and accomplishment in beating one of the most dangerous mat tacticians on the planet:

"So definitely I have done my studying for this opponent and definitely have a lot of respect for Shinya, but I was happy to get the victory and outmaster him in the leg lock. That was pretty nice."

Cole Abate certainly lived up to the hype in last Friday's performance. He intrigued the audience with his fast transitions and focused output, hunting for that submission in any way possible. Minutes into the foray, he pivoted from the triangle choke to the leg lock to finish the job. The way he did it was too stunning for words to describe.

Rewatch Cole Abate in full action and other events from ONE Fight Night 26 via Prime Video in North America.

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"It was freakinn beautiful" - Cole Abate receives praise from BJJ fans after securing a $50K bonus over Shinya Aoki

BJJ fans are showering Cole Abate with messages of praise and love after securing a $50K performance bonus in his debut fight.

Although young in years, the Brazilian is an experienced practitioner with multiple championships under his belt. From winning juvenile titles to securing his first gold medal at the IBJJF Pan-American Championships, Abate is as phenomenal as they come.

This week, he received massive praise from BJJ fans worldwide after posting his win on Instagram. One fan wrote:

"Way to go cole!!!!!"

Another fan added:

"It was freakinn beautiful."