Kade Ruotolo’s 3 best weapons heading into ONE Fight Night 11 

Submission grappling superstar Kade Ruotolo’s second world title defense is finally upon us, as he shares the Circle with undoubtedly his most dangerous challenger yet.

The lightweight submission grappling world title will be hanging in the balance at ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs Menshikov on Prime Video on June 9, as Lumpinee Stadium will play host to two of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists in the world today.

After racking up back-to-back impressive victories, Tommy Langaker has earned the right to challenge the 20-year-old phenom, who has yet to taste defeat in three matches in ONE Championship.

While the Norwegian grappler brings forth an impressive resume in Europe’s BJJ scene, there’s no doubt Ruotolo remains the favorite in this high-stakes grappling-only war.

With that said, here are Kade Ruotolo’s three best weapons that Tommy Langaker must remain wary of at ONE Fight Night 11.

The entire card will air live on US Primetime free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America.

#3 Ruthless aggression

Kade’s twin Tye Ruotolo has often talked about the inner competitive fire that his brother possesses, which is evident in his first three matches under the Singapore-based organization.

While the Atos standout carries the grace of a true world champion during interviews, he truly transforms into a frenzied beast once the opening bell rings.

The Ruotolos are notorious for imposing an unbelievable pace in their matches, and it's a common occurrence to see them pushing the pedal to the metal for the entire duration of the bout.

We all saw how Kade Ruotolo overwhelmed everyone in his wake using that blistering momentum at the 2022 ADCC World Championships to become the tournament’s youngest-ever world champion.

His ruthless aggression is backed up by godly conditioning, which makes Ruotolo a true terror on the mats.

We’ve seen him punish the legendary Shinya Aoki in his ONE debut, forcing the usually aggressive grappler to be on the defensive in their entire bout.

His explosive nature was also on full display versus Matheus Gabriel when he slammed the challenger right off the bat with a beautiful body lock takedown.

#2 Technical mastery

Ruotolo lives and breathes grappling, as he’s practically been rolling since he was literally in diapers.

The BJJ scene had witnessed this phenom grow before their eyes, as Kade and Tye won almost every accolade in jiu-jitsu at such a young age.

Ruotolo’s aggressive style is backed by years and years of technical experience, making his attacks not only brutishly lethal but fundamentally sound as well.

The San Diego native is a true master of the grappling arts, a skill honed over the years under the iconic Andre Galvao.

At just 20 years old, it’s a scary thought that Ruotolo has yet to scratch the surface of his unbelievably high ceiling.

#1 Creative submissions

Aside from his innate belligerence and world-class skills, Ruotolo is a true fan favorite because he hunts for submissions every chance he gets.

Over the years, we’ve seen the Ruotolos recklessly dive into submission entries, which more often than not, they find a way to finish.

Just like his twin, Kade is also a master of the D’Arce choke, capable of executing the suffocating choke hold from practically any position.

Given his long, limber limbs and endless creativity, Ruotolo also has that crazy buggy choke in his arsenal.

Of course, let’s not forget how easily he can wreck an opponent’s lower half with his vicious leg attacks.

Uali Kurzhev learned this the hard way in their match, as the Sambo specialist fell prey to a gnarly heel hook.

Rewatch Ruotolo’s amazing finish below: