"The stuff people want to see in BJJ" - Fans stack praise on Kade Ruotolo, Francisco Lo's electrifying submission grappling battle
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is getting the attention it deserves in ONE Championship, thanks to some of the sport's key ambassadors like Kade Ruotolo and Francisco Lo.
The current ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo and IBJJF Pan No-Gi champion Francisco Lo locked horns in a phenomenal 180-pound catchweight battle this past Friday, to continue the mission of expanding grappling on the mainstream front.
21-year-old Kade Ruotolo lived up to the hype with another entertaining performance, showcasing his complete grappling arsenal as he ended the bout with his brilliant 'Ruotolotine' for the tap.
The below-arm, rear-naked choke generated instant praise from the Muay Thai fans who watched from inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
After the bout was over, the conversation about their exciting matchup didn't end. Fans continued heaping praise on Instagram with reactions like the ones below:
"Our goal is to make it as exciting as possible" - Kade Ruotolo explains why he always goes for the finish
Both personally and professionally, Kade Ruotolo and his brother Tye, always take advantage of the opportunities that lie in front of them.
Both brothers fought in last Friday's main event, scoring big wins against high-level grapplers including Francisco Lo and Izaak Michell, with two outstanding submissions.
Understanding the challenges they had ahead, Kade and Tye nevertheless focused on entertaining the non-jiu-jitsu fans with highlight-reel finishes.
Looking back at their performances with pride, Kade told Sportskeeda MMA:
"As Tye [Ruotolo] mentioned, when we first came to Lumpinee, that was our goal, to just make it as exciting as possible."
Tye Ruotolo retained his ONE welterweight submission grappling crown with the same show-stopping finish against Aussie standout Izaak Michell in six minutes. The next time we see Kade compete will be on an MMA stage later this year.