Diogo Reis Named ONE Championship’s 2025 Submission Grappler Of The Year
ONE Championship featured elite submission grapplers all throughout 2025, each delivering technical brilliance on the global stage. Among them was Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis, who arrived with World Title aspirations and the skills to achieve his ambitions.
Reis notched two stunning victories this year, captured the vacant ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Championship, and displayed unparalleled excellence in “the gentle art.” And now, the Brazilian’s dominant campaign has earned him the 2025 Grappler of the Year award.
After conquering the highest levels of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition, the 23-year-old Manaus native finally brought his talents to the world’s largest martial arts organization in March.
Awaiting “Baby Shark” for his highly anticipated promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 29 was Shoya Ishiguro, who entered the flyweight submission grappling match riding three straight wins from the ONE Friday Fights event series.
Reis, a two-time ADCC World Champion, showcased his explosive pressure from the opening bell. The Brazilian blasted through Ishiguro’s guard with slick passing sequences that left the Japanese rising star scrambling for answers.
Seizing an opening, Reis trapped the 29-year-old with a suffocating head-scissor choke and then attacked an exposed arm with a kimura. He applied incredible torque to force the tap at the 6:05 mark of the single 10-minute round, announcing his arrival in spectacular fashion.
The emphatic finish positioned him to vie for the vacant ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Title against another formidable Japanese opponent, Daiki Yonekura.
At ONE Fight Night 38 earlier this month, Reis again employed relentless top pressure and a lightning-fast pace to keep Yonekura on the defensive throughout their 10-minute showdown.
The Brazilian ace hunted submissions from every position, threatening with arm-triangle chokes, guillotines, and leg entanglements. When Yonekura attempted his own leg lock attacks, Reis stayed composed and stifled each threat with relative ease.
After 10 minutes of nonstop action, the judges gave “Baby Shark” the unanimous decision nod to make him the new ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion.
With two statement victories and 26 pounds of gold secured, Reis closed 2025 as the face of the promotion’s flyweight submission grappling division. As his prodigious skills continue to evolve, bigger challenges await “Baby Shark” in 2026.
