“I wanted to show that I got some hands” - Kade Ruotolo on decking Ahmed Mujtaba with overhand right at ONE 169
Reigning and undisputed ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion turned mixed martial artist Kade Ruotolo of the United States impressed yet again in his second MMA fight in the world's largest martial arts organization.
Ruotolo returned to action last weekend at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Prime Video to face Pakistan's 'Wolverine' Ahmed Mujtaba in a three-round lightweight MMA contest.
Not only did the 21-year-old BJJ icon impress once again with a quick D'Arce choke finish in the first round, but he also showcased his rapidly improving striking skills.
Ruotolo at one point decked Mujtaba with an overhand right that sent the packed Lumpinee Stadium crowd into a frenzy.
Addressing the media at the official ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Prime Video post-event press conference backstage, Ruotolo talked about that sequence and what he thought about it.
The Atos jiu-jitsu product stated:
"Yeah, humbly speaking, I don't think so. You know, I'm very confident. I think I can take anyone on in the division. You know, the last fight was more of a jiu-jitsu finish, and I wanted to show that I got some hands too, you know. I'm super stoked that right hand clicked. I got the knockdown. Probably could have finished it there. But I just couldn’t resist the D'Arce opportunity. It's always there. So, yeah, I was super stoked for sure."
Kade Ruotolo says MMA career is right on track: "I'm extremely happy with the progression"
Submission grappling king Kade Ruotolo says his MMA career is taking off just swimmingly, following his second victory in the all-encompassing sport last weekend at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Prime Video.
He told the media:
"I'm extremely happy with the progression and the future that we're going in."
ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Prime Video too place live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, November 9. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.