Dante Leon wants Tommy Langaker after debut win at ONE Fight Night 26 

Lightweight submission grappling star Dante Leon announced his arrival to ONE Championship in emphatic fashion this past weekend at ONE Fight Night 26, and now he’s ready to rock against the biggest and best names on offer. 

The American standout submitted Bruno Pucci in just over two minutes of their lightweight submission grappling matchup on Friday, December 6, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. 

Rather than waiting to see who ONE offers him next, Leon stated his case for a pivotal showdown with former ONE World Title challenger Tommy Langaker. The pair met in the 2018 IBJJF Championships, and Langaker prevailed as the winner. So Leon would love to even the score against his rival. 

“[Tommy Langaker] and I have a very short history, but a history that goes way, way back. I attacked him in the match and had several submissions in that match. Given that we’ve both matured and grown as athletes, I’m very interested to see how that match would go,” Leon said.  

“And I think that’s a great match, a great step up in competition, another great match to take for me, and it’s a great match for the fans here at ONE. It’d be amazing if we could do it in [Lumpinee Stadium] as well.” 

Dante Leon believes all grapplers should look to join ONE Championship

Joining ONE Championship’s illustrious ranks is a huge moment for any fighter, even those of the submission grappling world.  

Dante Leon was a stalwart feature on the world’s grappling scene. But he feels that signing with ONE has been the best move for him, and he urges others to follow suit.  

“If you look at the accolades and you look at the resumes of just the grapplers that are here, and you know, on contract or committed to ONE, this is where all the best people are. It’s nowhere else,” Leon said.  

“But truly, when it comes down to it, if you’re an athlete and you want to prove that you’re the best, you have to go where the best are. ONE is where the best martial artists are.”