"Can't wait to be back and redeem myself" - Francisco Lo plans to get back after falling short against Kade Ruotolo
Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom Francisco Lo plans to redeem himself on the world stage again following a tap-out loss to Kade Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 21.
The Brazilian newcomer attempted to beat the reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion in a non-title catchweight bout last Friday but failed to live out his expectations. Kade Ruotolo capitalized on a hasty mistake on Lo's part and tapped him out with an arm in, rear-naked-choke.
Francisco Lo has since accepted defeat with grace and vows to return stronger than before. Taking to Instagram, the Manaus-born competitor posted the following message to his fans and teammates at Checkmat:
"What a great experience @onechampionship. Even with a big weight cut I was feeling good and ready. Unfortunately, I did a mistake that cost me the match. Lesson learned! I can't wait to be back and redeem myself. Thanks for all the supporting messages and critiques too. Definitely i will be back stronger."
Rewatch all ONE Fight Night 21 events, including Kade Ruotolo vs. Francisco Lo on Amazon Prime Video.
Kade Ruotolo moves on from Francisco Lo fight and prepares to make his MMA debut against American slugger Blake Cooper
Reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo has completely moved on from his fantastic bout against Francisco Lo and is focused on making his long-awaited MMA debut.
The 21-year-old superstar is ecstatic to begin the second chapter of his growing career as a martial artist with a difficult challenge. This year, Kade has been scheduled to face American slugger Blake Cooper on June 7 at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga at the Impact Arena in Thailand.
After accruing a grappling record of 6-0 under ONE Championship, the world awaits to see Kade roll out the MMA gloves and fight full-contact with his opposition.
Cooper is by no means a picnic. He will incorporate a lot of striking into his wrestling to make Kade feel uncomfortable out there. But the BJJ phenom is unfazed. He is excited to finally introduce his skills on the world stage and achieve his first MMA win.
Sharing his thoughts about his upcoming fight against Cooper, Kade told SCMP MMA:
"It's definitely not an easy fight, you know, he's got some heavy hands, some great wrestling, so you know, on paper it's going to be a difficult matchup for sure. I'm extremely confident and I'm excited."
ONE 167 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.