"We've been really happy" - Kade Ruotolo says Andre Galvao was instrumental in the Ruotolo twins' decision to sign with ONE
The Ruotolo twins, Kade and Tye, are taking ONE Championship by storm and are undoubtedly two of the hottest commodities in the promotion right now.
Turns out, we all have Andre Galvao to thank for that.
The 21-year-old grappling prodigies honed their world-class skills under the tutelage of Galvao at Atos Jiu-Jitsu HQ in San, Diego California.
Watching their sensei compete in the world's largest martial arts organization enticed the pair to follow in his footsteps.
Kade Ruotolo revealed in a recent sit-down with fellow ONE world champion Demetrious Johnson on an episode of the Mightycast:
"I remember our professor led the charge for that one, Andre Galvao. He was the first one from our team to be brought onto ONE. We've seen him. He had a match one ONE, everyone was rooting for him and was stoked for him. I remember not far after that they offered my brother and some contracts."
Galvao, who's considered a legend in BJJ spheres, grappled Reinier de Ridder to a draw at ONE X back in 2022. It is worth noting that Tye Ruotolo eventually beat de Ridder at ONE Fight Night 10 last year.
Meanwhile, Kade Ruotolo said signing with ONE was the best decision the brothers could have made for their careers, adding:
"It's one of the biggest platforms for submission grappling so it was kind of a no-brainer to take the opportunity. Ever since then, there's been no looking back. We've been really happy with the partnership."
Watch the interview in its entirety:
Demetrious Johnson says BJJ superstar Kade Ruotolo is perfect for MMA
After training with Kade Ruotolo prior to their interview, Demetrious Johnson had nothing but praise for the grappling prodigy.
'Mighty Mouse' complemented the lightweight submission grappling king, saying:
"You are that new guard of a pure Brazilian jiu-jitsu guy coming into mixed martial arts. Your sweeps are great, your jiu-jitsu is absolutely amazing. I don't think you'll have a hard time."
Just as Johnson predicted, Ruotolo put on a flawless performance in his MMA debut at ONE 167 against Blake Cooper.
The full replay of that spectacular card is available free on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.