"They're not really using their jiu-jitsu" - Kade Ruotolo wonders why some BJJ black belts shy away from grappling in MMA
Kade Ruotolo believes some fighters don't use their grappling skills enough in MMA.
Over the past two years, Ruotolo has become a massive superstar amongst ONE Championship fans by establishing a 6-0 record in submission grappling. The 21-year-old lightweight world champion now looks to further his reputation in combat sports by transitioning to professional MMA.
During an interview on the JAXXON PODCAST, Ruotolo discussed several aspects of MMA and had this to say:
"I think what we see in [MMA] is there are certain jiu-jitsu coaches that have a high-level fighter or an amazing striker, and they're getting the jobs done with their hands. They're getting the results in the cage. But they're not really using their jiu-jitsu. On paper, they are getting the wins, getting the results but they're not really using their jiu-jitsu."
Ruotolo last competed on April 5 in a catchweight bout against Francisco Lo at ONE Fight Night 21. The American phenom secured a win by "Ruotolotine" in under five minutes and left the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium with a $50,000 performance bonus.
Watch Kade Ruotolo's entire interview on the JAXXON PODCAST below:
Who is Kade Ruotolo fighting in his professional MMA debut?
On June 7, ONE Championship will travel to the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, for ONE 167, featuring a stacked fight card. In the main event, Stamp Fairtex plans to defend her ONE women's atomweight MMA throne against close friend and former teammate Denice Zamboanga.
Before Stamp vs. Zamboanga, Kade Ruotolo will make his highly-anticipated professional MMA debut. Standing in the 21-year-old's way is the brother of two-time PFL world champion Ray Cooper III, Blake Cooper, who suffered a first-round knockout against Maurice Abevi in his promotional debut.
ONE 167 will also feature the debut of Adrian Lee (younger brother of Christian and Angela), the return of Liam Harrison, Johan Ghazali, Mikey Musumeci, Tawanchai v.s Jo Nattawut 2, Rodtang, and more.
The June 7 event can be seen live on US Primetime for free by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.