"You need those nerves" - Cole Abate embracing pre-match jitters ahead of promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 26

ONE Championship newcomer Cole Abate is wholly embracing the pre-match nerves before he steps into the circle against Japanese legend Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight Night 26 on Friday, Dec. 6.

Speaking exclusively with ONE, he said:

"I think nervous is good. You get nervous before every time you compete. But it gets to a certain point where you feel like you need those nerves."

Abate added:

"And if I go into a match and I don't have those nerves, then it feels a little off. You wanna have that. That makes you feel more excited going into a match like that, and I believe that that's when I perform at my best."

Abate's hotly anticipated promotional debut against 'Tobikan Judan' will be no easy task, as the former lightweight MMA king's penchant for finishes could catch 'Ice' by surprise inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

However, the 20-year-old star is a renowned finisher in his own right, having earned 19 submission wins in 31 triumphs as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitor.

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Cole Abate reveals BJJ mentor's life-changing advice

Cole Abate shared in a different interview with ONE the advice given to him by Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy owner and BJJ legend Gui Mendes after his first day of training under Mendes' guidance. He recalled:

"There's no excuse for losing or just accepting defeat against those guys. You can beat them. You just gotta put your mind to it. So, don't try to be the best green belt here. Don't try to be the best kid here. We all know you are. Now is the time to get ahead of everybody else and just try to be the best in the world at your weight."

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