Kade Ruotolo to possibly dip toes in combat jiu-jitsu before MMA transition

Reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is without a doubt one of the slickest submission artists in the world right now. The 20-year-old American phenom, alongside his twin brother Tye, is an absolute ace on the mats.

But Ruotolo has long flirted with the idea of transitioning to mixed martial arts, where competition is a lot fiercer, and far more dangerous because of the striking element.

Nevertheless, Ruotolo says his MMA debut may not be far off. In the meantime, the ONE world champion says he may just give combat jiu-jitsu a try to get a feel for striking.

Combat jiu-jitsu is a form of grappling that involves a degree of striking.

In an interview with South China Morning Post in Bangkok, Ruotolo revealed his plans to dip his toes in combat jiu-jitsu before making the big jump to MMA.

He said:

“Exactly. Just a little tester. But no, just like I said, all the jiu-jitsu techniques stay the same in combat jiu-jitsu. You still have all the heel hooks and back takes, and everything, all the options are there. You just can't be stalling. That's really the only thing that it stops. It's a cool rule set.”

Before all that, Ruotolo needs to get past his next world title defense.

Kade Ruotolo will put the ONE lightweight submission grappling world title on the line against former IBJJF European Open champion Tommy Langaker of Norway. The two will meet at ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video.

The event broadcasts live from the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, June 9, and will stream absolutely free to fans in the United States and Canada with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.