At ONE on Prime Video 3, newly-crowned ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo reminded everyone that there are levels to jiu-jitsu.
Against sambo and judo champion Uali Kurzhev, the 19-year old BJJ prodigy proved that he's not at the hardest difficulty level - he's the final boss.
True to any Ruotolo grappling battle, the October 21 bout ran at break-neck pace without much breathing room. Both fighters went for their best attacks from the get-go and it was dazzling to watch.
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In one of the most exciting sequences of the bout, Kade went for a jump-guard that almost transitioned to a flying armbar. Kurzhev, sturdy as a tree, blocked it and dumped Ruotolo on the mat.
Kade Ruotolo talked about what went down in the sequence during his post-fight interview:
"He's gripping really heavy on the collar tie and my goal was to slip my hand to the wrist, to try to get on the armbar off that jumping-guard pull. It's more like a flying armbar attempt. However, I didn't get that wrist grip, it kind of slipped, therefore it was very far-fetched and I was at the bottom. Then my brother's and I, our game, we don't mind being on the bottom. However, you know, the way we like to play jiu-jitsu is take down, pass, and submit. So once I didn't get that submission attempt, my goal was to get right back to my feet, and then it flipped my game."
This is why Kade Ruotolo is one of the most exciting grapplers to watch today. Even his failed attempts look breath-taking.
Watch the match here
Kade Ruotolo calls out Tainan Dalpra, Tommy Lanagaker for his first world title defense
With his freshly-won ONE world title belt hoisted on one of his shoulders, Kade Ruotolo didn't waste time looking for the next high-profile challenger.
The American grappling savvant, mic'd up with Mitch Chilson in his post-match interview, spoke about his immediate plans:
"The sooner we can get back in here, in the circle, the better. You know, I want to go ahead and defend my title ASAP. I got a couple of names on my mind, if you don’t mind me calling them out. They both start with T’s: Tainan Dalpra and Tommy Langaker. Both of those matchups sound insane. I know both of those guys are signed to ONE. If we could get it going towards the end of the year, I would love those matches, for sure. We need to get it going."
Tainan Dalpra is considered by some as the pound-for-pound best Gi jiu-jitsu grappler in the world today. He is also a two-time IBJJF world champion.
Langaker, on the other hand, is a former IBJJF Pans and European Open champion. Both fighters are from the famous stable Art of Jiu-jitsu (AOJ) under the legendary Mendes brothers.
Having either of these grappling powerhouses face Kade Ruotolo inside the ONE Championship circle for the world title will surely be a slice of jiu-jitsu heaven.