“We’re some of the most mentally strong guys” - Kade Ruotolo says he and brother Tye have the perfect temperament for MMA
Kade Ruotolo believes he and his brother, Tye Ruotolo, are "some of the most mentally strong guys."
Over the past two and a half years, the Ruotolo brothers have quickly become massive superstars in ONE Championship. Tye has taken over the welterweight submission grappling division by becoming a world champion, while Kade has achieved the same and defeated every opponent presented at lightweight.
At ONE 169, Kade continued his latest venture into professional MMA by extending his record to 2-0. Following his first-round finish, the 21-year-old had this to say during his in-ring interview about his mindset toward fighting:
"My brother and I, in the most humble way possible, we always say this- we’re some of the most mentally strong guys, so no matter who you guys put in front of me, I’m calling it, I’m gonna get the finish, trying to keep it in the first round as well."
Ruotolo's professional MMA debut took place on June 7 when he defeated Blake Cooper by first-round submission. The ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion accomplished the same result five months later against Ahmed Mujtaba at ONE 169.
The replay of ONE 169 can be seen for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Check out Kade Ruotolo's latest finish against Mujtaba below:
Kade Ruotolo continues journey to ONE MMA gold
Kade Ruotolo's world-class submission grappling skills ensured fans he would find success in MMA. The 21-year-old initially wanted to slow things down and evolve as a fighter, but his latest success has slightly changed his mindset.
Following ONE 169, Ruotolo was asked about potentially receiving a lightweight MMA title shot in the near future. The American superstar claimed he was interested in having his team support the massive step-up in competition.
Firstly, the lightweight MMA division's world champion will be determined on Dec. 6. Two-division king Christian Lee is scheduled to end his lengthy MMA hiatus when he faces Alibeg Rasulov in the ONE Fight Night 25 main event.
Rasulov earned the title shot by defeating Ok Rae Yoon in his promotional debut on July 5.
Check out Kade Ruotolo's comments on a potential lightweight MMA title shot below: