Muscles don't mean a thing in fighting as far as ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is concerned.
After all, 'The Gentle Art', in its essence, was developed for the smaller person to be able to subdue a bigger and stronger adversary.
Ruotolo, of course, walks around with a deceptively long and lanky frame. But make no mistake about it, the 21-year-old has never let heftier opponents bully him on the mat since he could more than hold his own when it comes to feats of grappling strength.
In an appearance on the Talk-Jitsu Podcast, Ruotolo revealed that he and his twin brother Tye don't spend much time in the weight room.
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"That was one reason why we never got into lifting weights. Even to this day, my brother and I were never big weight lifters, really at all. Not to say it's wrong or whatever, there's not one road for everybody. Everybody does things differently. For us, we use our mobility, our timing, and our reactions more than anything."
Watch the Kade Ruotolo's full interview:
While strength is an incredible skill for BJJ, Ruotolo knows technique still triumphs above all.
Kade Ruotolo eager to show his strength in upcoming MMA debut
Kade Ruotolo's wish to don the four-ounce gloves in the world's largest martial arts organization is finally coming true. The Atos standout will take on Blake Cooper in a lightweight MMA bout at ONE 167, live on US Primetime, on June 7 at Impact Arena, in Bangkok, Thailand.
While grappling will still be his bread and butter, the youngest ADCC world champion said he's been sharpening his hands the most throughout his training camp.
Ruotolo said in the same interview:
"There's been a lot more striking [in training], of course, and wrestling, things like that. It's not uncommon for us to take breaks in jiu-jitsu. We've always taken a lot of breaks in jiu-jitsu."
Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 free of charge.