WATCH: Kade Ruotolo shows flashes of brilliance, dominates Blake Cooper in clinical MMA debut at ONE 167

ONE 167 was a momentous occasion for many ONE athletes and one such name who will surely be looking fondly at the event is Kade Ruotolo. Happening last Friday, June 7, the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion had his first-ever MMA fight against the hard-hitting Blake Cooper.

With Cooper seeking his first win in the promotion, he and Ruotolo had all the reasons to give the fans a memorable encounter.

Despite many fans worrying about how Ruotolo would fare in the stand-up game, he looked extremely comfortable in trading punches with Cooper and had even caught the Lion of Judah product with some head kicks.

Ruotolo's deftness of slipping through Cooper's offense led to him establishing his grappling dominance, claiming the win via rear-naked choke late in the first round.

Check out the finishing sequence and Kade Ruotolo's post-fight interview below:

The win over his fellow American pushed his ONE Championship record to a perfect 7-0, with three submission finishes to his name.

Fans in the United States and Canada can rewatch the entirety of ONE 167 for free via Prime Video.

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Kade Ruotolo gunning for submission in upcoming high-profile bout

Kade Ruotolo will defend his ONE lightweight submission grappling world title at ONE 168: Denver on September 6 inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, against flyweight submission grappling world champ Mikey Musumeci.

In the post-fight interview, Ruotolo staked his claim to victory:

"Yeah, that's wild! I know a lot of people are psyched up for that, for sure. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't think I'd get the submission. To be a hundred percent honest, I think I'm gonna get the sub in that one."

Tickets for ONE 168 are still available via Ticketmaster.

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