5 lightweights who could be Kade Ruotolo’s perfect debut opponent In MMA

Kade Ruotolo’s long-awaited mixed martial arts debut is as inevitable as Thanos’ snap.

Fresh from his ONE lightweight submission grappling world title defense against Tommy Langaker at ONE Fight Night 11, the 20-year-old BJJ prodigy confirmed he wants to make his highly-anticipated foray into MMA before the year ends.

Knowing just how talented this young superstar is, fights fans across the world are beyond hyped for this development.

Then again, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, people.

As much as we would love to see Ruotolo jump in there right away with ONE lightweight world champion Christian Lee or any fighter from the top 5, we have to temper our expectations a little bit.

Sure, Ruotolo’s vaunted ground game can hang with anyone in the world right now.

However, MMA is a whole different beast altogether. Ruotolo is still a neophyte, or in his own terms, a no-stripe white belt when it comes to MMA.

Before he gets to the big dogs, he must first earn his chance by going up against other up-and-comers in the lightweight division.

Fortunately, ONE is home to several hidden gems in the 170-pound division who can officially welcome Ruotolo to MMA. Let’s check out some possible candidates:

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#5 Ben Wilhelm

If ONE Championship wants to build up Ruotolo’s MMA career slowly, a fighter like Ben Wilhelm could be the ideal opponent.

The Gracie Technics standout is a judo blackbelt who also specializes in the ground game. All five of his victories have come by submission.

Willhelm, who sports a 5-2 record, dropped his first two matches inside the Circle and will be itching to get back on track against a high-profile opponent like Ruotolo.

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#4 Richard Godoy

Styles do make fights, so Willhelm’s pairing with a fellow grappler like Ruotolo might not be as enticing for the Atos product’s MMA debut.

That said, a well-rounded MMA veteran like Richard Godoy could be an intriguing match-up. ‘The Wolf’s versatility could offer a stiff test right away for the MMA debutant.

The Brazilian can hold his own in the grappling department, while his solid striking game could give Ruotolo trouble on the feet.

Godoy has split his first two assignments in the Circle and has a 15-5 career record overall.

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#3 Rahul Raju

If Ruotolo desires to test himself in deep waters right away, a date with Rahul Raju is another possibility.

ONE fans are quite familiar with ‘The Kerala Krusher’s body of work, as he went 3-3 in his first six contests under the Singapore-based organization.

Raju has five wins by submission and two by knockouts and has already shared the Circle with established lightweight contenders like Ahmed Mujtaba and Amir Khan, among others.

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#2 Lucas Gabriel

While matching Ruotolo against older and more grizzled veterans could be fun, a pairing with someone close to his age could spell fireworks.

Lucas Gabriel made a successful promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 15 last month and could be due for a quick turnaround.

The 23-year-old stud beat Ibragim Shaymanov by a unanimous decision, showcasing an all-around skillset that could match well against Ruotolo.

He’s currently 7-1 in his career with three wins coming by submission and two by KO/TKO.

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#1 Murad Umachiev

If Ruotolo wants a shortcut to the top, beating an undefeated foe like Murad Umachiev could be his meal ticket.

The Russian wrestler, who has a 3-0 slate, showcased his ferocious Dagestani pressure against Ibragim Shaymanov in his ONE debut at ONE Friday Fights 19 earlier this month.

Then again, this will be a risky predicament for the youngest IBJJF world champion, who will be thrown into the lion’s den right away.

It will be interesting to see if his phenomenal jiu-jitsu skills will translate against a wrestler who can apply immense pressure and pepper him with strikes on his back.