“He’s so specialized” - Uali Kurzhev feels Kade Ruotolo has "never experienced" an opponent like him

Multi-time sambo and judo champion Uali Kurzhev will face grappling sensation and the youngest ADCC world champion ever, Kade Ruotolo, at ONE on Prime Video 3.

The October 21 bout will be for the inaugural ONE lightweight submission grappling world title. Not a lot of sambo specialists dabble in submission grappling as their sport is more tailor-made for MMA.

This doesn't mean, however, that they don't have the skill, mettle or grit to make it big in submission grappling. The Russian grappling powerhouse is eager to show the world that the sport of submission grappling does not solely belong to jiu-jitsu fighters.

During ONE's virtual press conference for ONE on Prime Video 3, Kurzhev spoke about his matchup with Kade Ruotolo. When asked if he was overlooked in the buildup to the bout, Kurzhev said:

"I don’t think I’m overlooked. I’ve been in the sport of sambo for 27-years. I’m sure Kade has never experienced an opponent like me, since he’s so specialized. I’ll bring it to him in this match."

Kurzhev conlcuded with:

"I understand the pressure and the audience, how big it is. But again, I’ve been doing this for a long time. I have methods to avoid nerves, I’m ready for this."

It looks like Uali Kurzhev is physically and mentally ready to take on the monumental challenge that awaits him at ONE on Prime Video 3. Once the circle door closes, we'll get to see if this is true or not.

Watch his faceoff iinterview here:

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Kade Ruotolo excited to test Uali Kurzhev's style in submission grappling match

In the same faceoff interview, Uali Kruzhev's opponent, Kade Ruotolo, also expressed his thoughts on the submission grappling showdown.

When asked what he thought of the Russian's hard-hitting style of sambo grappling, Ruotolo responded with:

"Someone left a comment on my last Instagram post: ‘If Sambo was easy, it would be called jiu-jitsu.’ So these matches [jiu-jitsu vs. sambo] are really cool, we can merge the two styles. Sambo guys have great takedowns and leg locks, so it’ll be fun to figure out his style. But I believe in BJJ, we have a few more moves, more options, so it’ll be an interesting matchup."

The budding rivalry between sambo and jiu-jitsu in ONE submission grappling goes through ONE on Prime Video 3.

Kade Ruotolo, perhaps more than most jiu-jitsu practitioners today, has a frenetic grappling style that can make a bout with a sambo champion absolutely entertaining. October 21 can't come any sooner.