“My mom would strangle me” - Kade Ruotolo maintains it was his father who got him into jiu-jitsu
Reigning and undisputed ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo of the United States, along with twin brother Tye, the ONE welterweight submission grappling king, is considered one of the greatest grapplers in the world today.
At just 21 years of age, Ruotolo has built a reputation as a ruthless finisher and master technician.
However, Kade himself has finally put to rest the debate about who introduced the twins to BJJ—whether it was mom or dad.
Speaking to veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Ruotolo revealed that his father introduced him and his brother to 'the gentle art'.
Ruotolo said:
"That’s props to my dad, you know, my mom would strangle me sometimes and say ‘that was my idea, too’ but It was definitely my dad. My dad was a blue belt at the time, so he started wrestling around with us at the house and tied a white belt around our waist and threw us into classes. I think we were three and a half years old."
Today, the Ruotolo brothers are considered among the pound-for-pound best grapplers in the world today, and at the age of 21, they still have years left in their prime and are just at the beginning of their careers.
Kade Ruotolo to defend lightweight gold against 'Darth Rigatoni' Mikey Musumeci at ONE 168: Denver
Kade Ruotolo will stake his ONE lightweight submission grappling belt against ONE flyweight submission grappling world titleholder 'Darth Rigatoni' Mikey Musumeci.
The two lock horns at ONE 168: Denver, in ONE Championship's highly anticipated return to U.S. soil.
The event broadcasts live from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Friday, September 6th.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.