"We lost track of time" - Kade Ruotolo recalls bonding with Demetrious Johnson over their passion for all things martial arts
BJJ ace Kade Ruotolo says he couldn't believe how easy it was to bond with Demetrious Johnson over their passion for all things martial arts. Unbeknownst to many, Kade, along with his twin brother Tye, have spent a lot of their formative years learning different combat styles other than just jiu-jitsu.
One of the reasons why they cross-trained in other sports like Muay Thai and boxing, was because they wanted to transfer their expertise in the grappling arts to MMA.
Since combat sports are always evolving, they too felt it was imperative to evolve - something Johnson, who is arguably one of the most well-rounded mixed martial artists in the world, can also attest to. So before Kade made his MMA debut this past June, he paired up with Johnson to help him adjust to a different style of fighting.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Ruotolo said:
"We trained for at least three or four hours, we lost track of time in there. We went over everything, no-gi jiu-jitsu, gi jiu-jitsu, MMA - we had two gym bags-full of stuff, it was a great time for sure, I learned a lot."
Although 'Mighty Mouse' intended to help Kade prepare for his first-ever MMA match, he also inadvertently helped him prepare for another flyweight challenger, 'Darth Rigatoni' Mikey Musumeci.
The two grappling world champions are on a collision course for Denver at ONE 168. Kade's lightweight belt is on the line and he'll do anything in his power to make sure he remains an undefeated world champion.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver is available at Ticketmaster.
"It's just another one to put on the record" - Kade Ruotolo won't let Mikey Musumeci's "amazing" past victories intimidate him in any way, shape, or form
Kade Ruotolo isn't intimidated in any way, shape, or form, by Mikey Musumeci's impressive resume.
One of the toughest challenges Kade will have to face is Musumeci's growing popularity as one of the greatest grapplers of his generation.
The American champion practically revolutionized jiu-jitsu with complex modifications of well-known leg locking systems like heel hooks and ankle locks.
Moreover, Musumeci is also undefeated under the ONE banner, and equally a force to be reckoned with. However, Kade is one of the most accomplished young grapplers in the world in the lightweight category.
Used to defeating big names like Musumeci, it's just business as usual for the 21-year-old superstar. Speaking to ONE Championship, he said:
"Again, it's just another one to put on the record. Mikey, a lot of people consider him pound-for-pound one of the greatest. He's had a lot of amazing wins over a lot of amazing people."