"That's what gets me out of bed" - Kade Ruotolo says MMA continues to excite him ahead of Ahmed Mujtaba war at ONE 169

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is thrilled to continue soaring to new heights in the realm of mixed martial arts. After debuting with a trademark submission victory in the sport, the martial artist features in his sophomore MMA fight against Pakistani brawler Ahmed Mujtaba at ONE 169 on Friday, Nov. 8.

B-Team Jiu Jitsu caught up with the American star last month to get his thoughts on the sport of MMA and where he'd rank it at this point of his career. In response, Kade Ruotolo shared:

"To be entirely honest, I'm super excited for MMA. That's what gets me out of bed in the morning excited, you know...it's mixed martial arts...and I love jiu-jitsu with all my heart, it just will forever be part of my life. But there's something about MMA that just excites me."

Watch the interview here:

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire card live at U.S. primetime for free on Friday, Nov. 8. ONE 169 will feature four massive world title fixtures across Muay Thai, MMA, and kickboxing.

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Relive Kade Ruotolo's epic MMA debut at ONE 167

After months of speculation and rumors, Kade Ruotolo finally tested himself in the all-encompassing discipline against fellow American star Blake Cooper at ONE 167 this past June.

The 21-year-old kicked things off by showcasing his striking artillery, looking very light on the feet and throwing crisp punches along the way. But, as expected, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt went back to his roots to ensure he would be done with his debut in trademark fashion.

Ruotolo pounced on an opportunity to shoot for a takedown, scored a body triangle, and wrapped things up with a rear-naked choke that drew a tap from his Hawaiian opponent at 3:20 of round one.

To make matters sweeter, Ruotolo bagged another US$50,000 performance bonus for his highlight-reel moment.