“I’ve been wanting to do that” - Kade Ruotolo says he’s been itching to make his MMA debut in ONE Championship

Kade Ruotolo's transition into another sport could happen sooner rather than later.

The reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion has always been adamant about his desire to jump into mixed martial arts, and he's already hinted that his debut into the multi-faceted sport is fast approaching.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Ruotolo hinted that he already has an opponent lined up and all that's left is to make that walk to the Circle.

Kade Ruotolo said:

"I don't have a specific name. I just want to get into the water and finally make that debut. It's been a long time that I've been wanting to do that. I've wanted to [do this] for a while."

Ruotolo is still focused on his submission grappling career, but he's since trained in striking during his time in California and whenever he visited Thailand.

The 21-year-old trained with UFC star Chito Vera in the United States and even worked on his Muay Thai and kickboxing with former ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon in Bangkok.

While he's hinted at his eventual move to MMA, Ruotolo still has a lot of work to do in building his legacy in the world of submission grappling.

The American star will take on Francisco Lo in a 180-pound catchweight submission grappling bout at ONE Fight Night 21 on Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Watch Ruotolo's entire interview below:

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Kade Ruotolo says he and Francisco Lo share similarities in their offensive philosophy

Kade Ruotolo always performed when he fought against opponents with an aggressive grappling style.

Francisco Lo, however, is more than that.

The Brazilian star isn't just assertive in his offense but has a style that's similar to Ruotolo's.

In an interview with The Shintaro Higashi Show, Ruotolo said:

"Just win, you know. He's a bit of a question mark as far as his game goes, he's very, almost similar to me, in a sense where he's an opportunist, where he just kind of sends attacks from anywhere and just makes it happen."

ONE Fight Night 21 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

Watch Ruotolo's entire interview below: