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Blake Cooper is ready to go wherever Kade Ruotolo wants to take their fight. Making his second appearance for the promotion, Cooper will welcome Ruotolo to the world of MMA as the reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion makes his mixed martial arts debut at ONE 167 on Friday, June 7.
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Though it will be our first time seeing Ruotolo in four-ounce gloves, one would assume that striking would be his Achilles heel — especially compared to his world-class grappling skills. As a result, you'd think Cooper's game plan would be to keep things standing for as long as possible. However, that may not be the case.
Speaking with ONE Championship, the American MMA standout is confident that his skills will hold up to anything Ruotolo can throw at him, on the feet or the mat.
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"I expect anything, you know? If he wants to stand, we can stand. And when it comes to the ground, I believe I can hold my own on the mats," Cooper said.
Kade Ruotolo ready to kickstart a new legacy against Blake Cooper at ONE 167
Of course, Kade Ruotolo certainly needs no introduction, but here it goes...
Making his promotional debut in May 2022, Ruotolo immediately made a name for himself alongside his twin brother, Tye Ruotolo. The twin superstars put together a pair of impressive records that eventually led them to ONE Championship gold. As the current lightweight submission grappling world titleholder, Ruotolo has dispatched a slew of notable names, including Matheus Gabriel, Tommy Lanaker, and Francisco Lo.
With a stellar 6-0 record, a ONE world title, and a history-making performance at the 2022 ADCC Championships, Ruotolo has little left to prove in BJJ, even at just 21 years old.
Will Kade Ruotolo kickstart another stellar run in MMA, or will Blake Cooper play spoiler and bring the Atos Jiu-Jitsu star back to reality inside the iconic Impact Arena in Bangkok?
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 7.
