3-time NCAA champion and Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee will take on Japan’s world champion Masanosuke Ono on February 26 at 8:00 pm (ET) headlining Flowrestling: Night In America. Spencer Lee has been a household name in wrestling for years but Masanosuke Ono just burst onto the scene over the past year. Because of that, the article below will break down everything you need to know about Ono before he takes the mat against Spencer Lee.

Ono’s Rise In 2024

At only 20 years old, Masanosuke Ono made his senior-level international debut at the Yasar Dogu in March of 2024. Ono dominated his way to 61 kg gold at the Yasar Dogu where he went 5-0, outscored his opponents by a combined 42-2, and defeated world medalists Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (world bronze) and Reza Atri (world silver). Coming off that tournament, it was clear Ono had incredible potential to challenge the world's best at 61 kg.

Then 6 months later at the U20 World Championships, Ono captured more of the wrestling world’s attention by winning gold with another dominant performance. At U20 Worlds, Ono went 4-0 with 3 techs and outscored his opponents by a combined 38-2. American wrestling fans began to take notice of Ono at U20 Worlds when he defeated pound-for-pound #1 high school wrestler Marcus Blaze, 7-2. 

Ono's win over Marcus Blaze at the 2024 U20 World Championships:

Ono’s Incredible Run At The 2024 World Championships

Ono was building momentum after U20 Worlds, but there was still uncertainty around how he would perform against the top wrestlers in the world 61 kg. Luckily wrestling fans didn’t have to wait long to find out. At the end of October, Ono competed at the 2024 Non-Olympic World Championships in a bracket loaded with talent. On the biggest stage, Ono put together his best performance winning another gold medal highlighted by wins over world champion Vito Arujau (12-0) and World/Olympic champion Zaur Uguev (10-2). Masanosuke Ono cemented himself as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the world and has the potential to win world/Olympic medals for years to come.

Every match from Ono's gold medal performance at 2024 Worlds:

Is This The Beginning Of The Lee-Ono Rivalry?

The upcoming supermatch between Lee and Ono should be incredible simply because it will feature two of the best lightweight wrestlers in the world. However, there’s further intrigue with UWW’s recent announcement that Ono plans to drop to 57 kg this year and will likely stay at this weight through the 2028 Olympics. That means February 26 could be the first of many meetings between Spencer Lee and Masanosuke Ono.