Kade Ruotolo dreams of becoming a double champ in submission grappling and MMA

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo’s imminent venture to mixed martial arts is not just some one-off that he hopes to cross off his bucket list.

The 20-year-old BJJ prodigy, who has achieved greatness in the grappling world at such a young age, is setting lofty goals for himself in MMA.

So much so, that Ruotolo is already visualizing himself among the special group of the promotion’s two-sport world champions.

After successfully defending his 26 pounds of gold for the second time against Tommy Langaker at ONE Fight Night 11 last Friday, Ruotolo once again entertained questions about his eventual transition.

The Atos standout made it clear that he wants to become the lightweight world champion in both submission grappling and MMA.

He told the South China Morning Post in his post-event interview:

“I'm polished up and everything. When I do step on those mats, I go straight to the belt, double champ.” [4:00 onwards]

Watch the full interview:

While he emerged victorious via unanimous decision against the gutsy Langaker, Ruotolo did not leave the match unscathed.

For one, the youngest ADCC world champion found himself on the receiving end of a gnarly heel hook from the Norwegian challenger.

In the end, Kade Ruotolo’s tenacity, brilliant transitions, and overall control won him the match in the judges’ eyes.

The San Diego native is keen on defending his throne against other potential invaders but admits he has sights on that long-awaited MMA debut next.

It remains unseen how much work Kade Ruotolo has put into his striking to keep up with the demands of MMA. Then again, his lethal jiu-jitsu game will be a handful for anyone, even in the stacked ONE lightweight division.

As we all await Ruotolo’s MMA debut, his latest submission grappling world title defense is available on replay free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America.