“Jiu-jitsu translates very well to MMA” – Kade Ruotolo confident his grappling skills will be deadlier in mixed martial arts
Kade Ruotolo is confident that his BJJ skills will make him even more dangerous in the world of mixed martial arts.
After establishing himself as one of the greatest grapplers in the world — winning both an ADCC title and the ONE lightweight submission grappling world championship — the 21-year-old Ruotolo will test himself in MMA when he straps on the four-ounce gloves for a clash against American standout Blake Cooper.
The bout will go down on Friday, June 7 when ONE Championship heads back to Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand for ONE 167.
Speaking with the promotion ahead of his highly anticipated MMA premiere, Ruotolo believes that his impeccable wrestling and dangerous jiu-jitsu game will prove invaluable in an MMA fight. He said:
"We throw submissions out from many different positions, kind of spontaneous submissions, solid wrestling, and our forward pressure and just aggression in jiu-jitsu translates very well to MMA, as well".
Kade Ruotolo determined to get job done in his MMA debut at ONE 167
Thus far, Kade Ruotolo is a perfect 6-0 in his ONE Championship run, earning wins over Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki, four-time Sambo world champion Uali Kurzhev, and most recently, Brazilian standout Francisco Lo.
Ruotolo also earned back-to-back wins against Norwegian sensation Tommy Langaker between June 2023 and January 2024.
But in all of those wins, Ruotolo never once had to worry about eating strikes as he finished for one of his signature maneuvers. This time, the Atos Jiu-Jitsu star will have to be wary of the blows coming his way as he digs in for an arm, leg, or neck.
Particularly against an opponent like Blake Cooper who brings with him a solid wrestling base and the ability to get the job done on the ground or the feet.
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 7.