“Probably one of the greatest MMA debuts” - Chatri Sityodtong ‘very surprised’ by Kade Ruotolo’s performance

ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was one of the many watching Kade Ruotolo's MMA debut leaving fully impressed by just how well the 21-year-old American phenom did in his first scrap.

Ruotolo delivered an incredible performance, tapping out Hawaiian star Blake Cooper with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their lightweight MMA showdown at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video.

Afterward, Sityodtong addressed the media in attendance at the official ONE 167 post-event press conference.

He had this to say about the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion:

"I was very surprised. Most people who are, you know, world champions and the very best in one discipline, usually show a little bit of stiffness in the other discipline. But Kade looked very smooth. His transitions, well some of his kicks were off in terms of timing but that’s to be expected. But I thought for his MMA debut, it’s probably one of the greatest MMA debuts. He didn’t look like a debutant, that’s for sure."

Ruotolo had been in the works for his MMA debut for quite some time, and now that it's finally happened, fans can't wait for his next outing.

If you missed any of the action, fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of ONE 167 on-demand via Amazon Prime Video.

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What's next for Kade Ruotolo?

Kade Ruotolo will return to the submission grappling realm to defend his ONE lightweight submission grappling world title against flyweight king 'Darth Rigatoni' Mikey Musumeci.

The two lock horns at ONE 168: Denver, which broadcasts live from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Friday, September 6th.

Musumeci will be moving up to lightweight for this match with Ruotolo.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Amazon.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates.