“I need more of his pace” - Kade Ruotolo admits twin brother Tye is faster than him
While Kade Ruotolo is more than confident in his skills, he could really use a bit of his brother's speed.
After dominating the world of BJJ, securing wins over Japanese MMA icon Shinya Aoki, Tommy Langaker, and Francisco Lo, the reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion traded in his gi for a pair of four-ounce gloves, making his mixed martial arts debut at ONE 167 inside Bangkok's iconic Impact Arena.
Squaring off with American MMA standout Blake Cooper, Ruotolo delivered a dominant performance—particularly when the fight hit the ground. It took Ruotolo just over three minutes to secure a rear-naked choke submission victory, keeping his 'O' under the ONE banner intact.
Speaking with the promotion in the days following his big MMA debut, Kade Ruotolo revealed that there are certain aspects of his brother's game—ONE welterweight submission grappling titleholder Tye Ruotolo—that he wishes he could incorporate into his own.
“Me, for the most part, I try to be more spontaneous and less of a pace, more of just a window, more opportunity-based," Ruotolo said. "I need more of his pace for sure. We always say, what he has I need, and vice versa. I would say those are the main differences.”
Kade Ruotolo returns to the mat on September 6 for a massive grappling clash at ONE 168
After a successful showing at ONE 167, Kade Ruotolo will return to the mat on Friday, September 6 for perhaps the most anticipated submission grappling showdown in ONE history. Putting his 26 pounds of gold on the line, Ruotolo will meet another current grappling titleholder—Mikey Musumeci—at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado.
Musumeci will be moving up three weight classes from his post as the ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion in hopes of becoming the first man to become a two-division grappling champion in ONE.
'Darth Rigatoni' is coming off an impressive performance against Gabriel Sousa at ONE 167, earning a submission by way of leg lock at the 3:07 mark.
Who leaves Ball Arena with their 'O' and the gold later this year?
Follow this link for tickets for ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at Ball Arena.