“It means a lot to me” – Tommy Langaker on being the first Norwegian IBJJF No-Gi World Champion

Norwegian BJJ world champion and ONE Championship athlete Tommy Langaker just took home the biggest accolade of his young career.

After failing to capture the ONE lightweight submission grappling belt from American phenom Kade Ruotolo last June, the 29-year-old Wulfing Academy product returned to action just recently to win the IBJJF No-Gi world championship, becoming the first ever from Norway to achieve such a feat.

Langaker took home the gold in the middleweight division following an impressive showing at this year’s tournament.

Speaking to FloGrappling in a recent interview, Langaker talked about his victory and how he hopes it inspires the next generation of grapplers from his home nation.

The 29-year-old said:

“It means a lot to me. I always see myself as some sort of pioneer for the younger generation in Norway. I have my students, and I see how (the scene in) Norway grows. To show that this is possible is something that I have always pursued. I never thought twice about it.”

On cloud nine, Langaker is super elated with his victory, even if it hasn’t quite sunk in just yet. He added:

“I don’t have words for it, to be honest. It’s been so long with the work. Emotions haven’t caught up with me yet, but it’s been a lot of hours. So it’s nice.”

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What’s next for Tommy Langaker?

In his prime and getting better by the day, the possibilities are endless for Tommy Langaker. He may have failed in his bid to capture the lightweight submission grappling belt from Kade Ruotolo earlier this year, but the Norwegian gave the American all he could handle from start to end in their match.

As such, it’s likely only a matter of time before a rematch is booked between the two. The next fight could end up with a much different result.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the news and updates on Tommy Langaker’s next fight.