“Keep setting the best example” - Cole Abate hopes stellar ONE debut opens more doors to younger fighters to the big stage

Cole Abate always had a penchant for thinking about others in the heat of competition.

The BJJ phenom had a stellar ONE Championship debut when he submitted the legendary Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight Night 26 this past weekend at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

Although he had every moment to celebrate following his win in Bangkok, Abate couldn't help but think of the impact his victory over Aoki had on his students at Art of Jiu-Jitsu.

Abate wrote on Instagram that his win over Aoki would help pave the way for the younger generation of submission grapplers to enter the world stage and become future stars in ONE Championship.

"Successful debut at @onechampionship winning my match by heel hook and receiving the $50K bonus. 🙏🏼🏆💸 My biggest hope is that my work and accomplishments will pave the way for the next generation of young professional athletes to have opportunities like these in the future. At the end of the day, I just need to keep setting the best example I can for them and be the blueprint for the steps they’ll need to take in their careers to make their dreams come true."

Cole Abate added:

"So grateful to Mr. @yodchatri [ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong] and @tomdeblass for the opportunity to perform on the ONE stage. Thank you to everyone for the continued love and support. 🙌🏼🤍"

Abate, considered one of the fastest-rising stars in submission grappling, had a debut to remember when he secured a heel hook finish over the man who revolutionized the technique in MMA.

Apart from the victory, Abate received a cool $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

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Cole Abate has nothing but respect for Japanese legend Shinya Aoki following ONE Fight Night 26 duel

Shinya Aoki is already one of the most legendary names in MMA, and ONE Championship debutant Cole Abate attested to the man's iconic status in the sport.

In his in-ring interview with ONE Championship commentator Mitch Chilson, 'Ice' Cole said he knew what kind of a fighter Aoki is and how much of a privilege it was to face 'Tobikan Judan'.

"Going into this, I knew that Shinya would be a very worthy opponent. He's got so much experience in MMA in general. Of course, representing Jiu-Jitsu and the MMA world for many years and even having the title here at ONE, so I knew the challenge I was going up against."