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Japanese MMA legend and submission grappling icon Shinya Aoki is set to return to his grappling roots at ONE Championship’s upcoming event on December 6 in Singapore. The promotion announced that Aoki, known as “Tobikan Judan,” will face Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy Cole Abate in a highly anticipated submission grappling contest.
This marks Aoki’s return to competition under grappling rules after his last appearance in the ONE cage in January. On that occasion, Aoki showcased his submission mastery, tapping out John Lineker in an impromptu openweight bout. The fight came together after Lineker stepped in as a late replacement for Sage Northcutt.
Aoki, one of MMA’s most celebrated submission artists, looks to bounce back from a challenging stretch of fights. Before his win over Lineker, the Japanese veteran endured a four-fight losing streak. Two of those losses came in MMA via knockouts to Saygid Izagakhmaev and Yoshihiro Akiyama, while the other two were grappling defeats against young jiu-jitsu phenoms Kade Ruotolo and Mikey Musumeci.
Standing across from Aoki will be 20-year-old Cole Abate, a black belt under Guilherme Lemos and one of the brightest rising stars in the grappling world. Abate burst onto the scene by winning the ADCC East Coast Trials in 2021 as a 16-year-old blue belt. Most recently, he added to his resume with a gold medal at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi.
The clash of styles between Aoki’s seasoned grappling expertise and Abate’s youthful energy and modern techniques promises a captivating battle for grappling enthusiasts.
The submission grappling contest will be part of the ONE Fight Night 26 card. The event is headlined by an MMA title bout between reigning champion Christian Lee and Alibeg Rasulov, ensuring an action-packed night for combat sports fans.
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