“I’ll forever take up martial arts” - Lightweight submission grappling king Kade Ruotolo says he’ll be a martial arts lifer
Kade Ruotolo will forever be a martial artist. The reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion believes he'll never leave the life of a martial artist even if he's fully retired from active competition.
In an interview with Talk-Jitsu Podcast, Kade said he'll always practice a form of martial arts if he deems he's done with Brazilian jiu-jitsu or MMA.
"For one, I love it, and my goal has always been to be a martial artist, not just jiu-jitsu. Even when I'm done with MMA, I'll forever take up martial arts, no matter what martial art it is," said Kade Ruotolo.
The American star has been living the martial arts life since he was a kid, and he and his twin brother Tye were once dubbed the prodigies of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
After conquering every possible competition early in their young careers, the twin brothers signed with ONE Championship in 2022 and captured unprecedented success.
The Ruotolo brothers have identical 6-0 records in the promotion, with Kade holding the ONE lightweight submission grappling world title while Tye has the ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship.
Kade is also an ADCC world champion while Tye is an IBJJF world champion.
Watch Kade's entire interview below:
Kade Ruotolo promises to bring unseen grappling force to MMA debut
Kade Ruotolo has been adamant that a move to MMA is one of his career goals, and he's ready to fulfill that goal in just a few weeks.
The 21-year-old will take on American standout Blake Cooper in a lightweight MMA contest at ONE 167 on June 7 at Impact Arena in Bangkok.
Ahead of his looming MMA debut, Kade said in an interview with ONE Championship that he'll bring a different level of grappling when he faces Cooper in the Circle.
"I just really wanna make that MMA debut. I've been getting a little more sparring rounds in, working my technique," Kade said. "I feel good. I think there's been a period of time since there's been a level of grappling as such, in MMA. 100% of the guys are just not ready for it or expecting it."
ONE 167 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.