“I don’t take any sloppy submissions” - Kade Ruotolo explains how MMA transition made him a ‘smarter’ grappler

Reigning and undisputed ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo of the United States says making his professional mixed martial arts debut in his last fight has improved his grappling game.

Ruotolo made his pro-MMA debut at ONE 16 on Prime Video last June, beating fellow American Blake Cooper via a first-round rear-naked choke. Ruotolo also got to showcase a little bit of his striking before he got the finish.

However, the biggest lesson he learned, Ruotolo believes, has now helped him elevate his grappling game. Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Ruotolo talked about how competing in MMA has helped him with his submission skills.

The 21-year-old phenom said:

"In jiu-jitsu, you go for D’Arces and whatever all day and keep the scramble going. That was the only way my game kinda changed for MMA, which is making sure I don’t take any sloppy submissions or any stupid decisions to end up on bottom."

As if Ruotolo's techniques could get any tighter, now future opponents will have to worry about a cleaner attack from the American star moving forward, one with less wasted movements.

Catch Kade Ruotolo in action again as he defends his golden belt in his next match.

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Kade Ruotolo to put lightweight submission grappling gold on the line against flyweight king 'Darth Rigatoni' Mikey Musumeci at ONE 168: Denver

21-year-old American phenom Kade Ruotolo will stake his ONE lightweight submission grappling world title against ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion 'Darth Rigatoni' Mikey Musumeci. The two lock horns at ONE 168: Denver, which broadcasts live from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Friday, September 6th.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event.