2025 61 kg world champion Masanosuke Ono joined FloWrestling Radio Live on Monday to announce his commitment to wrestle at Penn State University next season. 

Masanosuke Ono commits to wrestle at @pennstateWREST live on FRL 🇯🇵🦁 pic.twitter.com/1wVM1D2fOj

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) March 24, 2025

Who Is Masanosuke Ono?

At only 21 years old, Masanosuke Ono is currently one of the world's best pound-for-pound wrestlers and the reigning 61 kg world champion. Ono took the international wrestling world by storm by winning both the U20 and Senior World Championships this year. During his incredible run, Ono recorded notable wins over world champion Vito Arujau, world and Olympic champion Zaur Uguev, and U17 world champion, and fellow Penn State commit, Marcus Blaze. 

Most recently, Ono competed against Spencer Lee at FloWrestling Night In America on February 26. In that match (at 59.5 kg) Ono defeated the Olympic silver medalist in a close, 3-2 match. Ono notably spent a significant amount of time training at Penn State in preparation for his bout against Spencer Lee. 

Where Does Ono Fit In Penn State's Lineup?

Ono competes primarily at 61 kg international which is about 134.5 pounds. The natural assumption is that Ono will wrestle 133 pounds in college. However, when asked about what weight he will wrestle for Penn State, Ono jokingly responded that he could wrestle anywhere from 125 to 157. With Penn State's loaded lineup, the answer for where Ono will wrestle likely won't be sorted out until the beginning of next season. Regardless of where he ends up, Ono's world-class pedigree suggests he'll immediately be an NCAA title contender for the reigning NCAA champs.