"I wanted to fight again" - Kade Ruotolo admits he was "fired up" to double MMA tally the same night he beat Blake Cooper

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo has stamina for days, and he was ready for a second MMA bout after his lightweight MMA debut against Blake Cooper at ONE 167 this past June.

The 21-year-old training out of Atos revealed as much in an interview with Cageside Press:

"It just left me so, so eager to step right back in. I wanted to fight again that night, you know. I was fired up. So fired up."

Watch the full interview with Kade Ruotolo below:

Ruotolo made his long-awaited MMA debut inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, where Cooper's dangerous stand-up game was expected to cause trouble for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

However, the San Diego, California, resident caught Cooper in a rear-naked choke that forced a tap-out victory inside the opening frame.

For his next bout, Ruotolo will defend his ONE lightweight submission grappling world championship against ONE flyweight submission grappling kingpin Mikey Musumeci at ONE 168: Denver on September 6 inside the Ball Arena.

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Why Kade Ruotolo vs. Mikey Musumeci could end up being the best bout at ONE 168

Kade Ruotolo's upcoming defense of the ONE lightweight submission grappling throne against Mikey Musumeci at ONE 168: Denver on September 6 has all the makings for an all-time classic.

Ruotolo has shown that he can outwork his opponents when they decide to match his high-pressure style, as evidenced by his three submission wins in his unblemished seven-fight campaign across submission grappling and MMA in ONE.

The same can be said for the ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion 'Darth Rigatoni', whose resume under the ONE banner stands at 7-0 with five submission finishes.

With 26 pounds of gold on the line inside the Ball Arena, Ruotolo and Musumeci could produce one of the most memorable bouts in ONE's history.

Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.