Dante Leon ONE Fight Night 26 Bruno Pucci: "The most beautiful display of jiu-jitsu" - Dante Leon looks to cap ONE debut with a finish over Bruno Pucci

"The most beautiful display of jiu-jitsu" - Dante Leon looks to cap ONE debut with a finish over Bruno Pucci

Modified Dec 05, 2024 15:52 GMT

Dante Leon (left) takes on Bruno Pucci (right) in his promotional debut on December 6. [Photos via: ONE Championship] — Dante Leon (left) takes on Bruno Pucci (right) in his promotional debut on Dec. 6. [Photos via ONE Championship]

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) standout Dante Leon is in search of a statement-making victory over Bruno Pucci in his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 26 on Friday, Dec. 6, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

In an interview with the world's largest martial arts promotion, the 29-year-old Canadian detailed:

"A beautiful submission doesn't need to be flash. A beautiful submission doesn't need to be high-flying or something nobody's ever seen. A beauitful submission can be a dominant control from the mount that leads to an armbar or head-and-arm choke, or a back-take straight to a rear-naked choke where you have a body triangle and you're in full control of your opponent."

He added:

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"To any even moderately educated eye, that's the most beautiful display of jiu-jitsu you could really have. So I am gonna be trying to do something that impresses people. I am gonna be trying to do something that makes people say, 'Wow.'"

Leon knows a thing or two about putting together a beautiful choke or hold, owing to his 90 submissions in 142 wins as a BJJ competitor. He now hopes to translate this experience into a successful first outing under the ONE banner.

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Having a long-term goal is essential for any high-level combat sports athlete, and Dante Leon recently shed light on his while speaking with the Bangkok Post.

The Pedigo Submission Fighting representative said:

"I plan to get experience in the events. Rack up some wins against the highest level competition while connecting with the organization and fans to truly prove I am worthy of the title shot. This will make for a better match that fans can get behind once they see my legitimacy."

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

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard