Kade Ruotolo says there will be no more 'angry' Mikey Musumeci in their epic showdown at ONE 168: "It's all respect on our end"
ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo tells fans not to expect Mikey Musumeci's alter ego to resurface again when they head towards Denver for ONE 168.
Earlier this month at ONE 167, Mikey Musumeci unforgettably revealed his inner Sith Lord after avenging his last loss to Gabriel Sousa with his own version of the brutal calf slicer.
Distinct from his true personality, the Italian-American superstar brought out all the angry feelings he had bottled up inside by singling out Sousa as a bully in the post-ring interviews, for allegedly disrespecting him and attacking his family online.
The drama that ensued was entertaining to say the least, but Musumeci's "anger" will more than likely take a backseat when he challenges Kade Ruotolo on September 6.
"I guarantee that more or less, you know [that Musumeci will tone it down]. I think Sousa, for sure, struck a nerve or something but yeah it's pretty much all respect on our end for sure," Kade told Sporskeeda MMA.
Kade Ruotolo is scheduled to return to his roots to defend his lightweight strap for the fourth time after a successful MMA debut at ONE 167.
Despite being one of youngest and most accomplished jiu-jitsu practioners in the world, no one will give him more trouble than Mikey Musumeci, who is equally dangerous and undefeated within the promotion.
ONE 168: Denver is available free to stream in North America with an active Prime Video subscription.
"I'm so urgent to get right back to the MMA realm" - Kade Ruotolo says he's itching to get right back into the action following MMA debut
Kade Ruotolo showcased exactly what he is all about when he came out of his first MMA match unharmed and unscathed.
The 21-year-old youngster proved he's so much more than just a world-class grappler. He boasted about his MMA skills for years, which fortunately for him, has worked out to his favor.
Kade emerged more relaxed, confident, and dangerous than ever before when he entered the cage against Blake Cooper on June 6.
The cathartic experience has only added more fuel to the fire, which means, Kade is looking forward to getting back into the MMA world as soon as possible.
He told ONE:
"I'm so urgent to get right back to the MMA realm, to be honest with you. I had so much fun out there tonight. I honestly wanted to go back out and do it again."