WATCH: BJJ megastar Kade Ruotolo's dominant MMA run ahead of ONE 171 matchup against Nicolas Vigna

ONE Championship fans had no idea what to expect from ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo's move to MMA. However, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstar has already surpassed expectations in his first two bouts.

After a superb six-fight winning streak in the submission grappling ranks with three successful defenses of the gold, Ruotolo made his MMA debut in June 2024 at ONE 167. He submitted Blake Cooper at the 3:20 mark of the opening round via rear-naked choke.

His second foray into the world of MMA was even better than his first, as he caught Pakistani standout Ahmed Mujtaba in a D'Arce choke barely a minute into their lightweight MMA clash.

Watch Kade Ruotolo's handiwork in MMA below, which ONE shared on Instagram:

Aside from the $50,000 performance bonus-winning victory over Mujtaba, that matchup was where Ruotolo's striking abilities truly shined after he dropped 'Wolverine' with a clean overhand right before eventually transitioning to the D'Arce choke.

The 22-year-old grappling sensation's third bout in MMA is on the horizon. It will occur at ONE 171: Qatar on Thursday, Feb. 20, versus the debuting Nicolas Vigna. The Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar will host the event.

Tickets are available via Q-Tickets.

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Kade Ruotolo gives insight into his MMA journey

Kade Ruotolo has never been shy about his desire to compete in MMA. He bared his thoughts on how the move has impacted his career in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. The Atos product stated:

"So every day I'm learning so much that's why I love it so much, you know. It's been a long time since I learned something every single day and it's just refreshing, you know. So yeah."

Watch the entire interview below: