Kade Ruotolo elated to figure in “toughest fight possible” against Tommy Langaker 

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo doesn’t mind the friction between him and his next challenger Tommy Langaker. In fact, he thrives in it and will use it as motivation to bring his A-game on June 9 at ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video.

The 20-year-old phenom will defend his gold strap in the confines of a ring at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok against perhaps his toughest test to date.

Adding more fuel to the fire is the brush-in between Ruotolo and Langaker in the 2022 ADCC World Championship afterparty. While the pair of ground maestros did not share the mats, they admittedly exchanged some good old trash talk, knowing their paths will eventually cross inside the circle.

As the day of reckoning nears, Ruotolo acknowledged Langaker as a worthy foe and admitted his desire to show his grappling superiority over the Norwegian.

The youngest ADCC world champion told the Jiu-Jitsu Times:

“I love it. I’m always looking for the toughest fight possible, and like I’ve said before, what motivates me to fight people are people who want to fight me. If someone’s calling me out, it motivates me.”

Apart from his competitive animosity with Langaker, it’s quite clear that the 29-year-old’s unique skillset should match well with Ruotolo’s aggressive yet technically sound attacks.

Langaker is known for his impassable guard game and creative transitions to get his opponent’s back. Plus, anyone with 121 career wins in the unforgiving and high-level BJJ circuit is definitely someone to watch out for.

Don’t miss this high-stakes grappling war at ONE Fight Night 11. The entire card is available free of charge for existing Prime Video members in the United States and Canada.