The Ruotolo brothers saddened by Orlando Sanchez’s passing

Following the news that Orlando Sanchez had passed away, the Ruotolo brothers posted a tribute to his life.

The news was confirmed by Sanchez’s longtime gym, Gracie Barra, via an Instagram post on Friday. Sanchez passed away at the age of 40 with no cause of death announced as of yet.

“The news of the passing of Professor Orlando Sanchez profoundly saddens us. Thank you for being a great friend and one of our greatest athletes. You leave a legacy of toughness, kindness, and loyalty through your efforts as a competitor, professor, school owner, and regional leader. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with others and spreading the Jiu-Jitsu legacy worldwide. Rest in peace, Professor Orlando Sanchez. We will always remember you. The Gracie Barra team wishes comfort in the heart of his family and friends.”

Sanchez was a former ADCC and IBJJF world champion who was just as well known for his personality away from the mats as his accomplishments on it.

On their shared Instagram account, Kade and Tye Ruotolo posted a message following the news of Sanchez’s passing:

“Heard the news and didn’t want to believe it. Orlando is part of our roots in Jiu Jitsu. We have known him since we were little kids. We always saw him at every tournament and he was always smiling, always showing support for us and messaging us with positive words. We are definitely going to miss seeing him around... Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, kids and family... Rest in Paradise Big O 🙏🏽♥️”

Alongside the Ruotolo brothers, the likes of Tom DeBlass, Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida and Gordon Ryan all posted tributes.

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Free full fight: Kade Ruotolo successfully defends submission grappling belt against Matheus Gabriel

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo recently defended his belt for the very first time at ONE on Prime Video 5. The 19-year-old capped off a huge year, which saw him become the youngest ever ADCC gold medalist.

Whilst his opponent Matheus Gabriel lived up to his reputation of being difficult to submit, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Kade implemented his highly offensive style and chained all kinds of submission threats together, but still couldn’t find a way in.

Through his relentless style and athleticism, Kade Ruotolo was able to overcome Gabriel's defense and picked up a win via the judges' scorecards.

Utilizing a front flip to set up a kneebar caught Gabriel and everyone watching off guard. Whilst the challenger was able to escape, it was certainly one of the most memorable moments in the match that helped Ruotolo earn the win.

Kade’s twin brother Tye competed at the same event and was also able to pull off a win while demonstrating his exciting grappling style.

With their incredibly deep arsenals, the twins are able to constantly threaten with something new to keep their opponents stuck in a defensive shell.

ONE on Prime Video 5 was another showcase event for Kade and Tye, with both men picking up big wins and Kade defending his world championship just to add another achievement to his stellar year.

Watch the full fight here: