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ONE lightweight submission grappling king Kade Ruotolo will no doubt stick to his roots in his upcoming MMA debut against Blake Cooper at ONE 167. Then again, the 21-year-old grappling savant can't help but envision how satisfying it will be if he somehow wins his match via knockout or TKO.
Ruotolo is truly one of the most creative and dynamic grapplers in the game today, which we've seen time and time again in the home of martial arts.
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The Atos standout most recently submitted Francisco Lo with the innovative 'Ruotoline', a hybrid rear-naked/arm-triangle choke.
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As much as he loves making opponents yield, Kade Ruotolo admits he's looking forward to showcasing his improved striking with a stunning finish at ONE 167.
The youngest ADCC world champion told Karyn Bryant on her YouTube channel:
"It was very satisfying, you know, definitely a memorable feeling when you accomplish the little things. Like choking people out, armbars, and all that stuff's great. But there's something about when a punch sinks to the liver and you drop someone with the body shot or something like that. It just feels a little bit better. So yeah, I'm loving it."
Watch the full interview:
Kade Ruotolo says his "nice guy" aura goes out the window once the bell rings
Kade Ruotolo brings a laid-back and chill vibe wherever he goes, which is another reason why his fans adore him.
Then again, the affable American turns into an ultra-competitive monster once it's time to do what he does best inside the circle.
Speaking to ONE, the 21-year-old BJJ prodigy promised to bring the same mentality to his mixed martial arts foray on June 7:
"We're nice outside the ring. We try to be super mellow, good vibes. But when we step into the ring, all that goes out the window."
ONE 167 will emanate from Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch the stacked card free, as it happens in US primetime.
