WATCH: Kade Ruotolo’s collection of mind-blowing submission grappling wins in ONE Championship

The Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, will serve as the battleground for ONE Championship’s first numbered card of the year with ONE 165 on January 28. At the event, eight Japanese stars look to strut their stuff in front of a hometown crowd.

However, submission grappling star Kade Ruotolo will look to endear himself to a whole new fanbase as he defends his ONE lightweight submission grappling world championship against Tommy Langaker in the co-main event.

Ruotolo has become a steady fixture for the promotion’s growing submission grappling roster. He has had some great performances inside the ONE circle since his promotional debut in 2022 against Japanese legend and former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Shinya Aoki.

For fans who may have forgotten his skills or are relatively unfamiliar with his handiwork, ONE Championship put together a nearly 38-minute compilation of his slick grappling against the likes of Uali Kurzhev, Matheus Gabriel, Aoki, and Langaker himself.

See the video below:

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Why the Ruotolo - Langaker match is necessary

The pair first shared the ONE circle in June 2023, and while few expected to see a see-saw battle of renowned grapplers, that is exactly what happened.

Langaker shined like a star after locking in a tight heel hook that was acknowledged as a legitimate submission attempt by referee Vitor Shaolin, forcing Ruotolo to put in more effort to defend his gold.

When it was all said and done though, Ruotolo came away with a narrow unanimous decision victory after a spirited comeback.

The Norweigan star’s performance against Ruotolo certainly had fans buzzing and it was something that ONE Championship brass took notice of in the lead-up to ONE 165 on January 28.

Check your local listings or visit ONE Championship's official website on how to watch ONE 165 from your location.