"Kade is such a beast" - Fans marvel at Kade Ruotolo's utter dominance of Uali Kurzhev for inaugural ONE Championship gold

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo's decision to leap headfirst into the world of MMA has been met with widespread approval from fans, and a big chunk of his success comes from his extensive Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) background.

Ahead of his third MMA bout slated for ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20, ONE Championship posted his October 2022 heel hook submission of Uali Kurzhev to win the inaugural 170-pound submission grappling crown on YouTube.

Fans flocked to the comments section to share their opinions on Ruotolo's landmark victory, writing:

"Kade is such a beast."

"I'm here from watching the CJI. Yoo am I a fan of submission grappling now? Lol."

"Those M charges on Sideshow bob were real - he is a stone cold killer."

"Kurazhev could only struggle and never showed any ability to apply any offence. Insane."

Screenshot of fans' comments. [ONE Championship/YouTube]

Submitting the formidable Russian marked Ruotolo's second win in as many bouts under the ONE banner. He eventually forged it into an eight-fight winning streak across six submission grappling contests and two MMA matchups.

Ruotolo's pursuit of greatness in the MMA world will see him take on undefeated Argentinian Nicolas Vigna at ONE 171 inside the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar.

Tickets for ONE 171 are available via Q-Tickets.

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Kade Ruotolo's third MMA bout lines up with his motivations

At just 22 years old, Kade Ruotolo already carries the mindset of a veteran fighter in that there is no opponent he would ever back down from.

The Atos athlete said as much during the in-ring interview with ONE commentator Mitch Chilson following his first-round submission of Ahmed Mujtaba last November:

"To be honest, no one really in particular. Really, whoever you guys think is a great matchup and an exciting one, I'm down for it."