Kade Ruotolo says fighters shouldn’t be “taking as much risk” in MMA as they could in jiu-jitsu
Kade Ruotolo has not only made his mark as one of the most feared grapplers in the world, but he also enjoyed his time in mixed martial arts as well.
After his successful MMA debut last June, the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion is ready for his next challenge at ONE 168: Denver, where he would defend his belt against the flyweight king Mikey Musumeci.
Ahead of this touted matchup, Ruotolo shared his experience and the difference between MMA and submission grappling game.
The 21-year-old superstar told ONE Championship in his recent interview:
“In MMA, you don’t wanna be rolling as much, taking as much risk, because you really don’t want to be on bottom. It really sucks to get turned over and all the work you put in to get on top in the match just goes away. So I think that’s a little bit more of a presence than in jiu-jitsu."
He added:
“I would say it’s almost like submission wrestling. It’s how I would describe most MMA fighters’ games.”
In fact, Ruotolo barely broke a sweat when he dragged Blake Cooper to the ground in his debut before he forced a tap in less than a round.
Kade Ruotolo says fans shouldn't underestimate his guard game against Mikey Musumeci
As the world's largest martial arts organization returns to the United States for the highly anticipated ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6, Kade Ruotolo will defend his golden belt from fellow American superstar Mikey Musumeci.
This epic matchup will pit 'Darth Rigatoni' with his formidable guard game against Ruotolo, who thrives with his slick passing techniques and top control.
Nonetheless, Ruotolo should not be counted out when it comes to his guard game, because he would be ready if the roles are reversed.
In the same interview, Kade Ruotolo said:
"If I am on my back, I probably am gonna do a little bit more than just the average half-guard and figure out some way to get on the leg or get up."
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are still available via Ticketmaster.