“Be as exciting as possible” - Kade Ruotolo proud to bring same killer instinct from BJJ to MMA
Kade Ruotolo is the real deal. After delivering a dominant performance in his mixed martial arts debut against Blake Cooper in June, the reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion dawned the four-ounce gloves once again for a showdown with Ahmed Mujtaba—an MMA veteran out of Pakistan with the ability to get things done on his feet or the mat.
However, despite the sizeable step up in competition, Ruotolo looked flawless in his sophomore showing, landing an early overhand right that planted Mujtaba on the canvas less than 60 seconds into the scrap.
Moments later, Ruotolo slapped on a D'Arce choke and that was all she wrote, handing the Atos Jiu-Jitsu star a second-straight win in MMA and moving him to 8-0 under the ONE Championship banner.
At the post-fight press conference, Ruotolo made it clear that every time he steps inside the Circle, he'll always aim to deliver an exciting show for the fans—whether it's BJJ or MMA:
"I appreciate that. Yeah, that's obviously some really big shoes to fill. But in jiu-jitsu, our goal is always to be as exciting as possible, putting on the best performances possible. And that's my goal in MMA as well."
Is a matchup with BJJ legend Marcel Garcia next for Kade Ruotolo?
What comes next for Kade Ruotolo remains to be seen, but if Chatri Sityodtong has a say in the matters—which he does at ONE's CEO—Ruotolo could make a return to the mat for a veritable dream match with BJJ legend and recent ONE Championship signee Marcelo Garcia.
Taking to the Instagram comments section, Sityodtong said:
"One of the biggest dream matchups that fans will go crazy for is you vs. Kade for the world title in the future! It will arguably be the most-watched jiu-jitsu match in history!!! @ruotolobrothersjiujitsu @marcelogarciajiujitsu"
Garcia, 41, is a nine-time BJJ world champion, winning five IBJJF titles and topping the podium at four different ADCC events throughout his iconic career. Now a member of the ONE roster, Garcia could very well be the next man to challenge Ruotolo for his ONE lightweight submission grappling world title.
Is Ruotolo vs. Garcia the match to make when the 21-year-old phenom returns to the mat?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.