"He's got sick jiu-jitsu" - Kade Ruotolo inspired by Charles Oliveira and Gilbert Burns' successful transition from BJJ to MMA
ONE lightweight submission grappling king Kade Ruotolo is hoping to follow in the footsteps of two BJJ specialists who went on to become massive figures in mixed martial arts.
At ONE 167 on June 7 inside Bangkok's Impact Arena, the 21-year-old phenom will be making his MMA transition against Blake Cooper in a three-round lightweight MMA thriller.
If all goes to plan, Ruotolo says he wants to mimic the careers of esteemed grapplers Charles 'Do Bronx' Oliveira and Gilbert 'Durinho' Burns, who have both found success after fully committing to MMA.
Appearing on the Jaxxon Podcast, Ruotolo was asked who has the best BJJ in MMA today. The Atos standout answered:
"It's super tough to say but 'Durinho' [has the best BJJ in MMA]. It's tough to say because of his last loss but his jiu-jitsu, at least on paper, is one of the best ever."
The youngest ADCC world champion also had high praise for the former UFC lightweight champion. Ruotolo added:
"Charles Oliveira's BJJ is super sick too. He doesn't always use it. He likes to stand and bang but he's got sick jiu-jitsu."
Oliveira and Burns, of course, have become well-rounded assassins over the years, but there's no doubt that BJJ is still the catalyst for their respective success. Ruotolo appears to be cut from the same cloth and we'll soon see his mettle in four-ounce gloves.
Here's Kade Ruotolo's full interview on the Jaxxon Podcast:
Kade Ruotolo says Nate Diaz is his favorite MMA fighter
In the same interview, Kade Ruotolo also revealed his fascination for MMA's resident bad boy Nate Diaz.
According to the American BJJ savant, he can relate to Diaz's unapologetic attitude and non-nonsense approach to fighting. He added:
"My favorite fighter has always been Nate Diaz. It doesn't get more OG than that. The first thing [that I like about him] is just how stubborn and how ruthless he is. He could absolutely be outgunned then he always comes back. That's my favorite thing about him."
ONE 167 will air live in US primetime on June 7. Also, don't forget to watch the replay of Ruotolo's latest submission win over Francisco Lo at ONE Fight Night 21.
Both events are free on-demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.