Elite rivals Cole Abate and Dante Leon have signed to compete in ONE Championship’s submission grappling division.
Two of grappling’s high rivals are headed to ONE Championship.
On Thursday, the Singapore-based martial arts group introduced that it had signed 19-year-old phenom Cole Abate and multiple-time IBJJF no-gi world champion Dante Leon to compete in its submission grappling ranks.
Abate is among the most extremely touted younger abilities the game has ever seen. The youngest-ever athlete to win ADCC Trials, he boasts victories over the likes of ADCC veterans Geo Martinez, Deandre Corbe, and Keith Krikorian. That Trials run earned him a spot within the 66kg division on the 2022 ADCC World Championships, the place he would endure a first-round loss to IBJJF world champion Fabricio “Hokage” Andrey.
Accidents would sideline Abate for a lot of 2023, however he’s returned to a extra lively schedule in 2024, profitable gold in each gi and no-gi on the IBJJF Pan Pacific Championships.
Abate has educated out of the famed Artwork of Jiu-Jitsu Academy for the previous 5 years and at the moment heads up the varsity’s no-gi program.
Given the hype surrounding him and his confirmed abilities towards high grapplers, the 19-year-old represents an thrilling addition to ONE’s rising submission grappling divisions.
Dante Leon is an equally thrilling addition.
Contemporary off an unbelievable run within the absolute division on the 2024 ADCC World Championships the place he defeated ADCC champions Mica Galvao and Giancarlo Bodoni, the Canadian black belt is a well-established elite competitor and one of many sport’s perennial pound-for-pound stars.
Leon is a two-time IBJJF no-gi world champion, a multiple-time ADCC medalist, and a former Who’s Quantity One light-weight champion. In 2023, he picked up notable victories over Ethan Crelinsten, PJ Barch, and Kenta Iwamoto, amongst others. What’s extra, he moved up a number of weight lessons to say gold within the super-heavy division on the IBJJF No-Gi Pans. These spectacular performances earned Leon the honors of Grappling Insider’s Male Grappler Of The Year and cemented him as one of many planet’s high pound-for-pound grapplers.
Leon is slated to face UK standout Ellis Youthful this Saturday, November 1 at Polaris 30.
Leon stands to make a right away affect in ONE. Whereas he’s loads able to competing throughout totally different division, his pure weight class is 170 kilos (light-weight in ONE), the place Kade Ruotolo is the reigning titleholder. And, if he desires to maneuver as much as 185 kilos, Leon might sit up for a possible showdown with Kade’s twin brother, reigning welterweight titleholder Tye Ruotolo.
No opponents have but been introduced for both man’s promotional debut.
