Kade Ruotolo advocates stronger PEDS testing for jiu-jitsu athletes 

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is not afraid to discuss issues that are often swept under the rug.

Addressing the elephant in the room, Ruotolo called for more advanced tests and stricter rules for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDS) in jiu-jitsu and submission grappling.

In a candid interview with the South China Morning Post, the 20-year-old phenom talked about the use of steroids, which has plagued “The Gentle Art” scene in recent years.

“I'm super stoked to see that. I think the more [tests] the better. It's a hard thing to touch on. Because I feel like so many guys are good at getting around the test.”

Moreover, the Ruotolo suggested that other banned substances don’t even appear on tests, citing Human Growth Hormones (HGH) as an example:

“And there are certain steroids that probably don't even show up in tests. I've been told HGH doesn't show up in any steroid tests. That's what half these guys are on, just HGH. I think there are a lot of ways around it.”

Watch Ruotolo’s full interview below:

The distinguished Ruotolo twins, Kade and Tye, pride themselves on being natural athletes.

The ONE Championship superstars have been vocal about how PEDS tarnishes the good name of such a beautiful sport.

Meanwhile, the Singapore-based promotion has put submission grappling in the limelight by establishing divisions and world titles for some of the brightest names in BJJ.

ONE has also honored grappling by ensuring fair play among its competitors with a strict and no-nonsense approach when it comes to testing for performance-enhancing drugs.

A true champion on and off the mats, Kade Ruotolo is indeed the perfect ambassador for submission grappling.

Catch his latest ONE lightweight submission grappling world title defense by watching the replay of ONE Fight Night 11. The entire card streams free of charge for Prime Video members in North America.