ONE 167 preview and predictions: Kade Ruotolo vs. Blake Cooper

A banger of a contest is all but guaranteed when Kade Ruotolo and Blake Cooper go toe-to-toe in a lightweight MMA scrap at ONE 167 on June 7.

For the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion, this opportunity to debut in the all-encompassing discipline is something he's wanted ever since he joined the promotion's stacked roster.

With the chance now inching closer, the 21-year-old should be all fired up to prove a point, showcase his ever-evolving arsenal, and, perhaps, make a case for himself in a bid to secure two-sport world championship status on the global stage.

But with added dimensions in this discipline, Kade Ruotolo could have his work cut out against Blake Cooper's well-rounded arsenal.

The Hawaii native may have suffered a TKO loss to Maurice Abevi the last time out, but he has plenty of tricks to cause chaos should he keep things standing in this fight.

Before they throw down inside the Impact Arena, here's Sportskeeda MMA's unbiased analysis of this lightweight showdown, which will be available live in U.S. primetime for free to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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Ted Razon: Kade Ruotolo via submission (rear-naked choke)

We're all curious to see if Ruotolo's striking will hold up in his MMA debut. I foresee the BJJ savant showcasing a little bit of what he's been working on striking-wise and trading early with Cooper.

But once an opportunity arises, I see him doing a level-change and shooting for a double leg. Ruotolo has been clear in press interviews that he wants to submit Cooper inside the opening frame.

I expect the Hawaii native, though, to be ready with some heavy sprawls. Then again, Kade Ruotolo is relentless once he gets a hold of anyone, and I see him talking this to the ground by some sort of body-lock takedown.

It's a whole different world once they hit the mats. I expect Kade Ruotolo to not hunt for a submission like he usually does. Instead, I see him opening up Cooper's guard with some ground and pound.

The lightweight submission grappling king is an expert in exerting pressure, and I see Cooper succumbing to it and giving up his back. We all know how this ends if he leaves that neck open.

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James De Rozario: Kade Ruotolo via submission (heel hook)

To say that Kade Ruotolo will be in for a test might be a massive understatement, given his world-class ground game repertoire.

Yes, all MMA fights start on the feet, but the ONE world champion's takedowns come with speed and precision, and he will waste no time taking matters into his own hands and dominating this tie on his way to another submission victory.

I expect him to feint with his stand-up tools to create an opening for him to level-switch. From mount, he'd do what he typically does best – secure the hips and attack with submissions.

However, with him eager to throw hands, the lightweight submission grappling king could put a bit of his striking weapons to good use from the top. This might force Cooper into a scramble, where he might give away his leg.

From there, the Atos representative would have a couple of creative techniques to finish off the tie. But I see him relying on a textbook heel hook to open his MMA account in style.

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Vince Richards: Kade Ruotolo via decision

Both Kade Ruotolo and Blake Cooper have extensive grappling backgrounds, but I expect this match to go 0-100 on the feet.

These two stars will brawl it out in Bangkok, and I don’t expect a grappling attempt from either of them. Cooper has the obvious advantage in MMA, but Ruotolo has looked great so far.

The Hawaiian star could sneak in a crucial flurry if Ruotolo gets gung-ho, but I’m not betting on the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion to get impatient in this matchup.

Can Ruotolo get a knockout? It’s possible, but highly unlikely.

Nevertheless, it’s a chance for Ruotolo to showcase what he’s been up to in the MMA realm.

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Mike Murillo: Kade Ruotolo via submission (rear-naked choke)

Kade Ruotolo versus Blake Cooper is one of the matches I’m looking forward to catching at ONE 167 because it marks the MMA debut of grappling ace Ruotolo.

It’s going to be interesting to see what his transition would be like in mixed martial arts. But while it’s going to be played under MMA rules, I expect Ruotolo to resort to BJJ at some point and go for the win from there.

Cooper will try to keep the fight on stand-up and make it a strike fest but I don’t see Ruotolo engaging in it, at least in his MMA debut, for a long stretch and will take the match to the ground and go for a submission.

The end should come in late in the first round by way of submission in favor of Ruotolo, possibly by rear-naked choke.