Reinier de Ridder comments on Ruotolo twins’ MMA transition: “They still have a long way to go”

ONE middleweight world champion Reinier de Ridder welcomes the interest of Kade and Tye Ruotolo to transition to mixed martial arts but believes they are still far from being a force in it.

The Ruotolo twins, who are top submission grapplers in ONE Championship, plan to also compete in MMA at some point this year. They said it is part of their push to continue to challenge themselves and grow as fighters.

Both have been training with their team in preparation for their transition and said they can take on Reinier de Ridder in an MMA match.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, ‘The Dutch Knight’ took time to comment on the Ruotolo twins’ MMA plans, highlighting that while they have the needed skills and the people around them, they are not yet there.

He said:

“This is a very different world. But they seem like they're very dedicated to their craft. The guys, they spend a lot of time on the mats. I think they have the right people around them to help them take that first step into MMA, but they still have a long way to go right now.”

Watch the interview below:

Reinier de Ridder was last in action in May in ONE Championship’s historic first-ever live on-ground event in the United States. He took on Tye Ruotolo in a middleweight submission grappling superfight but lost by unanimous decision.

The Dutch champion is now looking to return to MMA for his next fight and defend his world title.

Reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo, meanwhile, successfully defended his title last month, beating Norwegian challenger Tommy Langaker by unanimous decision.