Kade Ruotolo
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ewly crowned ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo is having a banner year. The young Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom took home the inaugural strap in a heated battle with Uali Kurzhev at ONE Fight Night 3: Lineker vs. Andrade on Oct. 22, adding it to the ADCC World Championship he claimed last month.
Ruotolo used his expert BJJ knowledge to overcome his Russian foe’s sambo skills in his second outing in the ONE Circle. This latest win comes after the 19-year-old star scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Japanese mixed martial arts veteran Shinya Aoki in their submission grappling showdown in May.
After accomplishing such impressive achievements on the mats, Ruotolo is now eyeing his next adventure — and he has his sights set on MMA.
“I've been working on [MMA] a bit more. I kind of had to hit the brakes just for a little bit. I had that huge ADCC tournament and then this. But I'm going to continue working these hands, and my goal is early next year to start mixing it up and have that MMA debut. I'm beyond ecstatic about that as well,” he said.
“Guaranteed next year, without a doubt. We will be in the Circle with gloves on. As far as what exact month, I can't be certain. There's no specific date that we have signed, but definitely preferably within the first six months of next year, guaranteed for sure.”
Read also: ‘I will take any fight’: New double champ Regian Eersel already eyeing next challengeThe Atos athlete’s meteoric rise to the top of the grappling world has been nothing short of immense. Less than a year out from earning his BJJ black belt, he has already taken home wins against the best in the sport.
He and his twin brother, Tye, who also competes in ONE, are known for their dominant styles and crafty skill sets, which they have developed together from a very young age.
The lightweight submission grappling king is now riding a 17-fight winning streak, and he is ready to add all the necessary weapons to his arsenal to take the MMA world by storm.
“I've been training jiu-jitsu my entire life. Obviously, that's my strong suit. However, I do love striking. It's not like I'm just now picking it up. Over the years [we've been] striking, I think [since] we were about 12 years old. We were training a bit of Muay Thai for a couple of years,” he said.
“I have a bit in me. It's not like I'm completely new to the game, and I'm falling in love with it every day. It's very new to me; and jiu-jitsu — not that I don't love it, of course, but it's like — I've been doing it my entire life. I'm learning every day, and it's refreshing. I'm just going to keep refining my skills. And I do believe the second I step in that Circle [under MMA rules], I'm going to make some big waves for sure.”
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This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.