WATCH: Kade Ruotolo flips the script, explodes for a heel hook in world title defense against Matheus Gabriel in Manila

Photo Credit: ONE Championship
Photo Credit: ONE Championship

Reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo flipped the script in his successful title defense against Matheus Gabriel.

On Friday, April 5, Ruotolo will return to the ring for a catchweight clash with debuting Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout Francisco Lo.

But first, ONE Championship is looking back at Ruotolo's first-ever ONE world title defense against the afromentioned former IBJJF champion at ONE on Prime Video 5 in December 2022:

"Mind games. Will American BJJ phenom Kade Ruotolo seize the win against Francisco Lo at ONE Fight Night 21 on Prime Video?"

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Fresh off of back-to-back wins against Norwegian submission specialist Tommy Langaker at ONE Fight Night 11 and ONE 165, Kade Ruotolo will meet an elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who is ready to seize the biggest opportunity of his grappling career.

Francisco Lo steps into the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium with a laundry list of accomplishments, including big wins at both the IBJJF Pan-American and American National Championships.

Lo has an impressive 49 career wins to his credit, with 28 of them coming by way of submission for a solid 57% finish rate.


Francisco Lo already knows the submission he plans to use against Kade Ruotolo

Going into what will undoubtedly be the biggest match of his career thus far, Francisco Lo is confident that he'll come out on top — so much so that he has already handpicked the submission he plans to use at ONE Fight Night 21:

"I'm not going to say what the submission will be, but I already have it in mind, and I'm very excited, just waiting for the day of the fight to arrive," Lo told ONE Championship.

Lo will need every shred of confidence he can muster when he meets one of the greatest grapplers on the planet in Kade Ruotolo.

Undefeated in ONE Championship, Ruotolo has dispatched some truly impressive names in an even more impressive fashion — including Japanese MMA icon Shinya Aoki and four-time sambo world champion Uali Kurzhev.

Will Ruotolo keep his '0' intact and add another big win to his growing hit list on the global stage, or will Francisco Lo shock the world and establish himself as the next big thing in BJJ?

Fans in North America can catch ONE Fight Night 21 live and for free on Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on April 5.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard
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