Kade Ruotolo beams with confidence ahead of ONE Fight Night 11

Kade Ruotolo is oozing with confidence ahead of his upcoming lightweight submission grappling world title defense.

On June 9, Ruotolo returns to action for his second world title defense. The 20-year-old BJJ phenom has been matched up against Tommy Langaker, arguably the American’s toughest opponent so far. Although Langaker possesses the skills to win, the reigning world champion is confident he will get the job done.

ONE Championship recently made an Instagram post showcasing this quote from Ruotolo:

“10 out of 10 times, I’m going to get the submission or put on a dominant performance.”

Kade Ruotolo made his ONE Championship debut in May 2022, defeating Shinya Aoki by unanimous decision. The win against Aoki led to a spot for the inaugural ONE lightweight submission grappling world championship match against Uali Kurzhev.

At the four-and-a-half-minute mark, Ruotolo secured a heel hook submission, leading to a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. In December 2022, the 20-year-old defended his throne for the first time with a unanimous decision win against Matheus Gabriel.

Ruotolo’s upcoming world title defense will be a difficult challenge. Tommy Langaker is 2-0 in ONE Championship, which includes a heel hook win against Kurzhev on February 24. The matchup between Langaker and the American has been expected since they signed with ONE.

Kade Ruotolo vs. Tommy Langaker will be the co-main event for ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video, which goes down inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The event can be seen live and for free by North American Prime Video subscribers.