Reigning and undisputed ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is on top of the world. At 21 years of age, he is a multi-time ONE world champion and has made more money than anybody his age.
It just goes to show that talent and hard work put together produce incredible results.
Ruotolo is coming off a spectacular performance against longtime rival Tommy Langaker at ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru, which took place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, last Sunday, Jan. 28.
The BJJ phenom dominated his opponent from bell to bell and scored a unanimous decision to retain his coveted gold after putting Langaker through the wringer. In addition to keeping his belt, Ruotolo also claimed yet another $50,000 bonus for his efforts.
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Speaking to veteran ONE Championship broadcast analyst Mitch ‘The Dragon’ Chilson, Ruotolo expressed his gratitude toward ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong and the entire organization.
Ruotolo said:
“So stoked. Everytime I come here to the ONE stage, I’m so thankful, I’m so grateful for the opportunity. Thank you so much to Chatri and ONE. You know what they say, if you love your job, you will never work a day in your life.”
“Just last week, I was finishing my camp in Costa Rica alongside my brother and friends. I went spearfishing, caught the biggest fish in my life and now I’m out here catching the biggest checks in my life. I'm so grateful, so thankful for these opportunities, and I can’t wait for the next one!”
What’s next for Kade Ruotolo?
At the age of 21, the sky’s the limit for ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo. However, now that the American phenom has all but wiped out ONE Championship’s grappling division, Ruotolo has his eyes set on making a long-awaited transition to mixed martial arts.
Kade, along with his twin brother, reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo, have long talked up a squall about moving to MMA. And that could surely come very soon.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the news and updates surrounding Kade Ruotolo’s next fight.