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Though ONE Championship's foray into submission grappling is just in its infancy, it has produced some of the most exciting bouts the sport has seen in recent years. Although there's only been 5 submission grappling matches in ONE so far, they involve some of the best athletes in grappling and MMA.
The matches exemplify the highest level of grappling and produce just as much excitement as a classic fist fight. One interesting dynamic that separates ONE's matches compared to other organizations, however, is their use of the cage. The presence of the steel structure creates difficulties that were not present in the sport before.
In a recent video released by ONE Championship, the promotion compiled all their submission grappling matches for fans to watch. From the inaugural bout between leglock revolutionary Garry Tonon and Japanese legend Shinya Aoki to the very recent Mikey Musumeci vs. Masakazu Imanari at ONE 156, enjoy the intricacies of these grappling brawls.
Watch the video compilation here:
Grappling receives a spotlight alongside Muay Thai at ONE Championship 157
In an effort to push their grappling division into the spotlight, ONE Championship will showcase some of their best grapplers on the main card of ONE 157. Though the main event, co-main event, and two high-profile bouts are Muay Thai, three bouts on the main card are submission grappling.
The two featured grappling matches will showcase two jiu-jitsu prodigies Kade and Tye Ruotolo in their ONE debut. Against them will be two legends in grappling, Garry 'The Lion Killer' Tonon and Shinya 'Tobikan Judan' Aoki. The old guard vs. the new breed narrative is alive and pulsating on this one.
Tonon and Aoki are perhaps two of the most decorated and recognizable athletes in jiu-jitsu and MMA for both casual and hardcore fans. The Ruotolo Twins, however, are mostly discussed in tight-knit grappling circles only.
Pitting these athletes against each other on the global stage will put a much-needed spotlight on submission grappling just like it did with MMA.
Also on the main card is the return of arguably the most decorated grappler of all time, Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida in his 3rd MMA bout. After his original fight last month against Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane got canceled, 'Buchecha' was given a new dance partner. This time he will face Brazilian finisher Hugo Cunha.
