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Kade Ruotolo absolutely loves fighting. He may not be able to fully understand or explain why, but it's a feeling deep within him. And you know what? He's pretty damn good at it.
Making his ONE Championship debut in May 2022, Ruotolo set himself apart from the pack, earning a victory over Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki. Six months later, he became the promotion's first-ever lightweight submission grappling world champion, defeating Uali Kurzhev via submission in less than five minutes.
After amassing an undefeated record in submission grappling, Ruotolo will test his skills in the world of mixed martial arts when he meets American standout Blake Cooper at ONE 167 on Friday, June 7 in Bangkok.
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But first, the Atos Jiu-Jitsu star shared his love for combat sports during a recent interview with ONE Championship, saying:
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“I love fighting. In the most honest way possible. I don’t know why, but I love it. There’s something about it.”
Kade Ruotolo believes his striking is coming along nicely ahead of MMA debut at ONE 167
After dedicating much of his life to perfecting his skills in the gentle art, Kade Ruotolo knew that he would have to put in some serious work on his striking if he hopes to be half as successful as he's been in submission grappling.
Offering some insight into his progress, Ruotolo revealed that while he's nowhere near the level of Tyson or Ali, he's feeling pretty good about where he's at compared to where he started.
"It's been coming along, for sure," Ruotolo said on the Jaxxon Podcast with Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. "I'm no Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali, but it's coming along pretty fast. I'm definitely comfortable. That's the main adjustment. I'm definitely comfortable on my feet."
Will Kade Ruotolo become a two-sport superstar and bag his first win in mixed martial arts?
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.
