After dominating the world of submission grappling, BJJ star Kade Ruotolo is ready to conquer another sport.
At ONE 167 in Bangkok, Thailand, the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion strapped on the four-ounce gloves for the first time to take in American MMA standout Blake Cooper in his first-ever mixed martial arts bout.
In case you missed it, Ruotolo delivered a sensational showing against the well-rounded Cooper, securing a first-round submission victory via rear-naked choke.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani following the win, Ruotolo credited the world-class talent in his corner for helping him walk away with a win in his MMA debut:
“I probably had the dopest corner you could ever ask for, for sure,” Ruotolo said. “Erik Paulson, Tyler Wombles, and my brother Tye Ruotolo. Can’t ask for much more of a combo right there.”
Kade Ruotolo returns for second MMA outing
On Friday, Nov. 8, Kade Ruotolo will attempt to go 2-0 in mixed martial arts when he returns to the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand for another tough test.
Standing in Ruotolo’s way of another big win will be former Pakistani MMA champion Ahmed Mujtaba.
The two standouts will square off as part of a stacked ONE 169 lineup that boasts four massive ONE world title fights and a loaded undercard featuring some of the promotion’s biggest stars.
‘Wolverine’ goes into the contest with a solid 10-4 record, with four of his victories coming under the ONE Championship banner. Mujtaba has defeated Benedict Ang, Li Kai Wen, Rahul Raju, and Abraao Amorim since signing with the promotion in 2018, but is currently sitting on a two-fight losing skid after losses against Sage Northcutt and Halil Amir.
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 169: Malykhin vs. ‘Reug Reug’ live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 8 in U.S. primetime.
