“He will win this fight” – Lito Adiwang expects Kade Ruotolo to stick to his grappling roots in MMA debut vs Blake Cooper

ONE strawweight MMA star Lito Adiwang recently gave his thoughts on the much-hyped MMA debut of ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion, Kade Ruotolo. The 21-year-old BJJ savant will hang up the rashguard for now and lace up the 4 ounce gloves to face Blake Cooper at ONE 167 on June 7th.

Adiwang, who is one of the finest 125-pound MMA fighters in the world today, sees Kade Ruotolo channeling his grappling roots to win this fight. He told ONE Championship:

“As a grappler, I expect him to return to his roots even in an MMA fight. He will win this fight, I expect him to get a submission early. Even if this goes the distance, I expect him to fully utilize his grappling. But, I see him getting a good position for another finish.”

One of the things to look out for in this upcoming bout is Ruotolo's response to strikes. Hitting the mitts and technical sparring in the gym can prepare you for your first fight - but only to a point. Once survival instincts kick in, we see how well a grappler can handle punches coming his way.

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Kade Ruotolo says striking won't be an issue in MMA debut against Blake Cooper

In a podcast with MMA legend Rampage Jackson, Kade Ruotolo addressed the obvious disadvantage he has coming into his MMA debut - his lack of a striking background.

He told 'Rampage:'

“It’s been coming along, for sure. I’m no Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali in the hands yet, but it’s coming along pretty fast I'm definitely comfortable. That’s the main adjustment. I'm definitely comfortable on my feet.”

Watch the full interview here:

Considering that Ruotolo is just 21 years old and is still years away from his prime, we can say that he has the potential to be as great in striking as he is in grappling. He is still at the age where his mind and body are like a sponge, capable of absorbing knowledge and technique easily.

ONE 167 will air live on US Primetime on June 7, free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.