"It's not about skyrocketing to the top" - Kade Ruotolo content to taking it one step at a time in MMA
Kade Ruotolo has made it crystal clear since making the transition to MMA that he's in it for the long game.
The ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion didn't choose to take on this huge challenge just as a one-off to kill time.
Kade Ruotolo is incredibly dedicated to doing things the right way and at this time, that means gaining more experience and putting in the hard work at the gym.
That isn't to say that he isn't confident in his own skills at this early stage in his lightweight campaign.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship ahead of his return at ONE 169 on Nov. 8, Kade spoke about his mentality in regards to his development.
Kade said that self belief isn't an issue for him but that doesn't mean he wants to jump right into the deep end without putting in the hard yards first:
"To be entirely honest with you, like in the most humble way possible, I'm a very mentally strong person, in a sense where like if you were to take the champion in the division and tell me if you were to fight him tomorrow, I feel like I'd get the W, you know. But it's not about skyrocketing to the top as much as it is gaining those experiences."
Kade Ruotolo is making smart steps in his career
At ONE 167, Kade Ruotolo made his MMA debut and unsurprisingly, secured a submission victory.
He's now set to return to Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 8 for his second test against Ahmed Mujtaba.
Both Blake Cooper and Mujtaba have been solid opponents with more experience in MMA than Kade without being the top contenders in the weight class.
His willingness to jump back in before the end of the year shows exactly where Kade is at regarding his hunger to continue developing.