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Kade Ruotolo has solidified himself as one of the most recognizable martial artists in the world right now.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom captured a couple of world titles before he even turned 20, and he’s just starting his stellar climb to the top of the submission grappling world.
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Ruotolo, the reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion, is poised to become one of the best to ever do it. Yet there are still some things that fans may not know about the grappler.
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Following his world title defense against Tommy Langaker at ONE Fight Night 11, let’s look at some facts about Kade Ruotolo.
#5. He’s an ardent skater and surfer
Kade Ruotolo has always bucked the conventional when it comes to his lifestyle.
While he’s no renegade of some sort, the young star likes his hobbies to match his daredevil approach in the circle.
The 20-year-old is an avid surfer and skateboarder and he’d often challenge himself on the hills and waves of sunny California. He did a little bit too much skating though heading into his fight against Tommy Langaker this past weekend.
Ruotolo revealed in a couple of interviews that he suffered minor injuries on his hand after a skateboarding accident near his house.
Nevertheless, Ruotolo got the job done and secured a unanimous decision win over Langaker at ONE Fight Night 11 at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
#4. He started his BJJ journey at 3 years old
While kids his age were trying to learn shapes and picking their favorite animals, Kade Ruotolo and his twin brother Tye were trying to figure out how to execute the textbook armbar.
The Ruotolo brothers weren’t just called phenoms for being great at BJJ during their teenage years, they were called as such because they took to the sport as early as three years old.
Kade and Tye were born in Maui, Hawaii of Italian and Puerto Rican heritage, but the twins didn’t last long on the island. They would eventually move to California where they would begin competing at three years old.
The brothers would get so adept at the art form that they were eventually labeled “grappling’s first child stars.”
Those child stars would eventually rack up title after title en route to their ONE Championship debut.
#3. He’s terrible at basketball, football, and other ball sports
Kade Ruotolo may be dominating the BJJ circles, getting mad surf on the beach, and shredding it at the hills, but there are still some sports he’s, in his own words, terrible at.
For all his natural talent, the reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion admitted that he’s horrible when it comes to ball sports.
Ruotolo revealed in an interview with the South China Morning Post that he neither has a jump shot nor a first touch. He added that he’s never possessed the talent in playing basketball, football, or any other sport that involves a ball and a goal:
“It's funny you say that because I'll tell you what, we have to be the worst ball sports in the world. I and my manager will be right there to second that. Anything with a basketball - air balls all day. Soccer, I can't even keep it under me. I don't know what it is. But anything with the ball sport, we're just the worst in that.”
#2. He’s the youngest ADCC world champion
Kade Ruotolo has always been one to write history, and he did just that when he was 19 years old.
The prodigious talent became a fully fledged superstar in the BJJ scene when he captured the gold medal in the 77kg men’s division in the 2022 ADCC World Championships.
Ruotolo squared off against fellow trailblazing phenom Mica Galvao in the finals, a fitting culmination of his incredible run to the world title.
After submitting all four of his opponents in his bracket, a rarity in the ADCC, Routolo faced Galvao in the gold medal match.
If the match didn’t have enough drama behind it, Galvao is a respected rival of Tye.
Ruotolo ultimately had Tye in his corner and the brothers’ coach-fighter chemistry paid dividends in Las Vegas. After a tense leg lock battle, Ruotolo found the opening and submitted Galvao with a heel hook.
Barely a month after his ADCC triumph, Ruotolo added the ONE lightweight submission grappling world title to his resume when he submitted Uali Kurzhev with a heel hook at ONE on Prime Video 2 in October 2022.
#1. He received his black belt from Andre Galvao when he was 18 years old
Before Kade Ruotolo collected two prestigious world titles, he was a young star eager to prove his name in the competitive world of BJJ.
Ruotolo was already a generational talent, but few would’ve expected just how fast he would go up the rankings.
Under the tutelage of the legendary Andre Galvao, the Ruotolo brothers would go from prodigies to young veterans.
Ruotolo would receive his blue belt on April 5, 2018, and he’d go up a level in each succeeding year.
On December 27, 2019, Ruotolo got a late Christmas present when he received his purple belt. He was then promoted to brown belt as a 17-year-old on October 19, 2020.
Galvao, who heads the famed Atos stable, ultimately awarded Ruotolo with the black belt on December 14, 2021 at just 18 years old.
