FREE FULL FIGHT: BJJ megastar Kade Ruotolo shows seamless transition to MMA in dominant submission of Blake Cooper
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Kade Ruotolo proved that he has what it takes to strap on a pair of four-ounce gloves when he made the bold decision to transition to mixed martial arts.
The reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion's debut in the all-encompassing sport took place on the supporting card of ONE 167, where he squared off against a more experienced opponent in Blake Cooper before an energetic crowd at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, in June 2024.
Watch the full fight uploaded on ONE Championship's official YouTube channel below:
There, Ruotolo only needed less than the initial five minutes to wrap things up.
With his sights locked in on leaving an indelible impression in his maiden outing as a mixed martial artist, Ruotolo displayed crisp striking before taking the Hawaiian to the mat, locking in a body triangle, and sinking in a rear-naked choke to finish Cooper at the 3:20 mark of the opening round.
Kade Ruotolo builds win streak in MMA by adding two more victories
After dominantly dispatching Blake Cooper in his MMA debut, Kade Ruotolo made it crystal clear that he had no intention of hitting the brakes, racking up two more impressive victories to extend his winning streak.
Ruotolo's follow-up assigment happened at ONE 169 in November 2024, where it only took him 64 seconds to get the job done by submitting Pakistani veteran Ahmed Mujtaba with a wrenching D'arce choke.
Check out the finish below:
Ruotolo returned to action three months later, overcoming a previously unbeaten fighter in Nicolas Vigna, whom he strangled with an arm-triangle choke to score another first-round finish.
Watch the closing moments of that bout below:
Ruotolo could be gearing up for his fourth MMA appearance later this year, with ONE Championship set to return to the United States with ONE 173 on August 1.
While the card has yet to be fully announced, it's not a far-fetched notion to expect Ruotolo in the event.
ONE 173 will emanate from Ball Arena.