"The pressure is on him" - Bruno Pucci embracing underdog status against grappling superstar Dante Leon

Bruno Pucci will welcome Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) superstar Dante Leon to ONE Championship at ONE Fight Night 26 on Dec. 6. The 34-year-old has accepted that he will be the underdog in their lightweight submission grappling bout, but that has not shaken his confidence in the slightest.

Speaking with ONE, Pucci explained why the pressure will be on the Canadian:

"I feel like in certain ways, it's good for me because I feel the pressure is on him. He's a younger guy, younger than me, coming up, winning everything."

The two-time IBJJF No-Gi World Championship gold medalist added:

"I fought MMA for a while. I stepped away from jiu-jitsu. So I think the pressure is on him, and I feel like this makes me more relaxed."

While Pucci's bout with Leon will be his first time to compete under submission grappling rules in ONE, he is certainly no stranger to showcasing the depth of his BJJ mastery.

'Puccibull' transitioned to MMA when he debuted in ONE in September 2013 and has since posted five victories — four via submission and one via TKO.

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Cole Abate joins Dante Leon in making ONE debut at ONE Fight Night 26

Dante Leon is not the only BJJ phenom who will have his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 26, but also 20-year-old standout Cole Abate.

In 2021, Abate garnered immense popularity throughout the BJJ community as he became the youngest-ever male to win the gold medal at the ADCC North American Trials at 16 years old.

The Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy athlete will look to shock the world once again by defeating Japanese submission grappling icon and former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Shinya Aoki inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

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