Tommy Langaker is arguably the best male Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor Europe has to offer, and he has put in all the work and sacrifice needed to reach this point in his martial arts journey.

The Norwegian star will challenge grappling phenom Kade Ruotolo for the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Championship in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video on June 9, inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in what will be the toughest test of his professional career to date.

From traditional Jiu-Jitsu to BJJ stardom

Langaker started his martial arts journey in traditional jiu-jitsu, which he competed in all over Europe before switching to BJJ at 17 after it arrived in his hometown – and he never looked back from there. 

Though the sport he has dedicated his life to isn’t as lucrative as mainstream ones like basketball or football, he has never considered quitting and continues to develop his skills in order to be the best at what he does. 

“I’ve just been very stubborn in what I do. So I put my training and my passion in front of everything else. I think that’s the biggest adversity when it comes to making this life in jiu-jitsu because there’s very little income, especially in the early career. And if you want to catch up with the rest, you have to invest so much of your time,” Langaker told ONE Championship.

Read more: Danielle Kelly Impressed By Ruotolo Twins, Describes Them As “Freak Athletes”

“I’m doing it because I always compare it to if you’re a good carpenter. If you have a nice house, you want to show it off if you’re doing good work. I’m very proud of my jiu-jitsu. And I know my house is the best house, and I’ll be there if somebody has anything better. But I’m going to go in there, and I believe my jiu-jitsu is always going to be superior.”

Tommy Langaker’s determination to be the best

After amassing over 100 wins in his career, Langaker arrived in ONE in August 2022, and immediately made an impact by claiming a dominant unanimous decision victory over two-time BJJ World Champion Renato Canuto. He followed that up by submitting former World Title challenger Uali Kurzhev in under three minutes at ONE Fight Night 7 this past February. 

Both wins netted the Norwegian star performance bonuses that amounted to a total of US$100,000, which, along with being a rising star in ONE’s rapidly-evolving submission grappling scene, has given him a sense of stability in the sport he is most passionate about. 

“It just made it a lot easier now as it’s more stable. And then again, it makes it much easier to focus even more. Now, it’s nothing. It’s just pure laser focus,” he said.

Read more: “I Want the World to See the Beauty of Muay Thai” – Rodtang Is Ecstatic After Showcasing His Muay Thai Skills in the United States.

Fans in North America can catch their match and the rest of ONE Fight Night 11 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video.