Kade Ruotolo wants to be as well-rounded as possible when he makes MMA debut

Kade Ruotolo wants to ensure he’s more than a pure grappler before making his MMA debut.

Ruotolo has solidified himself as one of the most talented submission grappling competitors on the planet.

The 20-year-old rising superstar doesn’t plan to limit himself to grappling matches, as he has continuously teased a transition to MMA in the near future.

Shortly after his latest world title defense on June 9, the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion revealed his plans to focus on MMA moving forward. During the ONE Fight Night 11 post-fight press conference, he had this to say about wanting to be a well-rounded fighter:

“I want to make sure I have all the tools so that we know when I do step on those mats in the MMA ruleset, I'm going to go straight to the top.”

Kade Ruotolo’s win at ONE Fight Night 11 extended his promotional record to 4-0. He now holds wins over Tommy Langaker, Matheus Gabriel, Uali Kurzhev, and Shinya Aoki. Once the 20-year-old defends his lightweight submission grappling world title again, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him face Langaker in a rematch.

Ruotolo’s latest match against Langaker was his closest thus far in ONE. Despite the world title challenger’s valiant effort, the young phenom emerged victorious once again, furthering his reputation as arguably the biggest superstar in ONE’s expansion into submission grappling.

For those that missed Kade Ruotolo’s latest world title defense, the replay of ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video can be seen for free by North American Prime Video subscribers.