"Nice" guy Kade Ruotolo says he flips the switch once the bell rings: "All that goes out the window"
ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in combat sports. Behind that warm smile and affable demeanor, however, is one of the nastiest submission specialists the world has ever seen.
The Ruotolo twins, Kade and Tye, are indeed the epitome of laid-back athletes who seem to be the type of guys that everyone would love to hang out with. While the Atos studs are as chill as they come, they're the complete opposite once it's time to handle business.
Kade Ruotolo shared in a recent interview with ONE Championship:
"We're nice outside the ring. We try to be super mellow, good vibes. But when we step into the ring, all that goes out the window."
Ruotolo's unbridled ferocity came out in his latest outing against Francisco Lo at ONE Fight Night 21 last April.
After a tense faceoff, the 21-year-old unleashed his frustration on his Brazilian foe with a wicked 'Ruotolo-tine' choke to put him in his place.
Now, the youngest ADCC world champion will look to bring the same intensity in his long-awaited mixed martial arts debut at ONE 167.
On June 7, live in US primetime, Ruotolo will finally lace up the four-ounce gloves against Blake Cooper in a lightweight MMA showdown at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE 167 is free for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Kade Ruotolo reveals why he's not a fan of lifting heavy weights
Kade and his brother Tye are indeed trailblazers in the new meta of grappling. As such, they're never afraid to push the boundaries of the sport.
For instance, the twins are one of the most well-conditioned physical specimens in the game, despite not spending a lot of time in the weight room.
Kade Ruotolo shared on the Talk-Jitsu podcast:
"Even to this day, my brother and I were never big weight lifters, really at all. Not to say it's wrong or whatever, there's not one road for everybody. Everybody does things differently. For us, we use our mobility, our timing, and our reactions more than anything."
Watch the full interview: