“That’s why he has been successful” – Kade Ruotolo expects Tommy Langaker to stick to his ‘very good’ guard game at ONE 165

Kade Ruotolo believes that his versatility as a world-class submission grappling competitor is one of the things that separates him from the pack.

With his brother Tye at his side, the two world champions have had the experience of always having a high-level training partner within an arm’s reach which has allowed them to become incredibly well-rounded on the mats.

The 21-year-old doesn’t believe that the same can be said for his next title challenger, Norway’s Tommy Langaker.

The two men will compete in a rematch at ONE 165 with the ONE lightweight submission grappling world championship on the line.

The champ is confident of defending his title once again because he knows exactly what to expect from his opponent while he can adapt his game on the fly. With that, Kade Ruotolo told ONE Championship that there is no comparison when looking at the game that he brings to the table against his opponent’s specialist strategy:

“I’m comfortable on the back, on the feet, wrestling, no matter where the match goes. And you know, Tommy has to play guard. He has to be on his back for the most part, and pretty much goes for the same attack every time. He’s very good at it. He’s very flexible and that’s why he has been successful.”

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Kade Ruotolo might look to switch it up on Tommy Langaker to keep him guessing

This versatility in the game of the world champion puts a lot of advantages in the hands of Kade Ruotolo. There is no denying that his opponent is incredibly effective at what he does and knowing how to confront that and counter it will be key to this rematch.

Both men are sure to make adjustments from their first meeting at ONE 165 but the competitor that is able to use that experience to their advantage will get their hand raised at the Ariake Arena this Sunday.

ONE 165 airs live from Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.