"The fear button isn't there" - Kade Ruotolo says daily scraps with twin Tye has prepared him for MMA transition

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo grew up alongside a twin brother, so we know there's plenty of roughhousing that went down in their household.

It just so happens that his sibling, Tye Ruotolo, is also a world-class athlete and fellow ONE world champion.

As Kade Ruotolo recalls, those little provocations sometimes escalated into full-blown skirmishes, which admittedly toughened up the 21-year-old BJJ savant.

With that said, the youngest ADCC world champion is not one bit fazed by the idea of finally lacing up the four-ounce gloves and figuring in his first-ever mixed martial arts fight.

ONE recently confirmed Ruotolo's long-awaited MMA debut against Blake Cooper at ONE 167 on June 7 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

As far as the Atos standout is concerned, Cooper won't surprise him with anything his brother Tye hasn't already thrown in his direction before.

Ruotolo said in a ONE Championship interview:

"My brother and I grew up scrapping our whole lives, so the fear button isn't really there when it comes to striking. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I've been finding more success and learning every day, so I'm confident."

Kade Ruotolo says he's not scared to get hit

Needless to say, Kade Ruotolo is carrying a massive wave of momentum into his mixed martial arts debut after submitting Francisco Lo in highlight reel fashion last April 5 at ONE Fight Night 21.

The 21-year-old prodigy secured the win via the 'Ruotolo-tine,' a modified submission that should also come in handy in MMA. While we already know how dangerous Ruotolo is once the fight hits the mats, he assured fans that he won't be a sitting duck when it comes to striking.

Ruotolo added:

"I'm not too scared of punches, which is usually the biggest barrier to overcome."

The replay of ONE Fight Night 21 is available free on-demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.