Kade Ruotolo says main focus this year is to keep on competing and defending his belt in ONE Championship

At ONE Fight Night 11 on June 9, Kade Ruotolo will return to competition to defend his lightweight submission grappling world championship.

Facing off against Norway’s Tommy Langaker in a long-awaited clash with some added tension thrown into the mix between the two, the contest will be Ruotolo’s second title defense.

In 2022, Kade and his brother Tye had breakout years, becoming two of the frontrunners in submission grappling thanks to everything they accomplished in ADCC and ONE Championship.

With a busy schedule that proved them both to be elite competitors right at the top of the sport, they are focused on maintaining the momentum in 2023.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Kade Ruotolo spoke about his plans for the rest of the year:

“So I think this year, a lot [of my focus and attention will] just be competing with ONE, defending my title, and then mixing up a lot more with the machine later this year.”

With the lightweight submission grappling world championship over his shoulder, Kade is continuing to lead the way for other grapplers to follow.

The Ruotolo brothers have already had a great impact on the sport. However, they both know that with the platform ONE provides them, they have the opportunity to really push grappling forward into bigger and better times.

To keep that responsibility, they cannot afford to get carried away with side ventures and let hungry competitors pass them by. Winning is always the focus and that’s what got them to the top in the first place.

Fans in the US or Canada can watch Kade Ruotolo in action at ONE Fight Night 11 live and for free with an Amazon Prime membership.