'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMmgEf/EACAQAAICAgAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEAgMAERITQVFhdNH/2gAIAQEAAT8AUahagzzGkqd1RqjSVjOVxiOp4fGxs4XO9Ke/Vh8z/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAIAQIBAT8Aj//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAEDAQE/AK//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Kade Ruotolo wants another 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold around his waist.
The reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion got off to a pretty good start toward that goal last year with back-to-back wins in MMA, including first-round submission victories over Blake Cooper and Ahmed Mujtaba.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, Kade Ruotolo will look to make it three in a row when he meets Argentinian newcomer Nicolas Vigna at ONE 171: Qatar inside the Lusail Sports Arena.
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Looking to stay busy in 2025 and continue his climb up the ranks, Ruotolo hopes that before long, he'll have an MMA world title to go with his submission grappling crown. Speaking to the Bangkok Post, Ruotolo said:
"If I can fit in three or four fights this year, you know. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I definitely believe at some point here in the future, there’s gonna be another strap wrapped around my waist."
Kade Ruotolo knows he's in for a tough test against undefeated newcomer Nicolas Vigna
Before Kade Ruotolo can start thinking about adding another title to his collection, he'll have to get through another tough test in Qatar.
Meeting Ruotolo inside the Circle at ONE 171 is Nicolas Vigna, a well-rounded fighter who has risen through the ranks in Latin America.
With a mixture of highlight-reel knockouts and submissions, 'El Paisa' has amassed an undefeated record of 7-0 ahead of his debut on martial arts' biggest global stage.
Speaking of his next opponent, Ruotolo said:
"I know he's undefeated. He's fighting out of Argentina, and he has a lot of tough guys over there. So definitely not expecting no bloke or anything like that."
Will Ruotolo keep his undefeated record intact inside the Circle, or will Vigna snap the BJJ star's streak and establish himself as the next big thing in ONE's lightweight MMA division?
ONE 171: Qatar will emanate from the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Thursday, Feb. 20. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.
