Kade Ruotolo and his brother Tye are two of the most talked about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes right now. Hailing from Hawaii, United States, the two prodigal twins have garnered a lot of attention owing to their talent. With that said, they might be looking to further challenge themselves in the near future.
For those unaware, Kade Ruotolo is the ONE Championship’s Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion. Whilst Kade competes and is the champion at 170 lbs, his brother Tye competes and is the Submission Grappling World Champion at 185 lbs.
Despite being only 21 years of age, both brothers have found success against competitors well beyond their ages. Training under their father since they were 3 years old, the brothers have become one with the art of BJJ, with Kade claiming to be more comfortable in Jiu-Jitsu than his native English tongue.
Kade Ruotolo teases his MMA debut later in the year
Owing to his recent successes, Kade Ruotolo along with his brother Tye has become talked about not just by ONE Championship viewers, but MMA fans in general. With Kade, like his brother having an unblemished 5-0 record in ONE so far, with wins over the likes of Tommy Langaker (x2) and Shinya Aoki, there has been a lot of talk about their eventual transition to MMA.
In a recent appearance on the JAXXON Podcast with Quinton Jackson and Bear Degidio, Kade finally spilled the beans on his potential MMA debut. With it being something that’s been in the pipeline for a while now, Ruotolo has been working on other aspects of his game as well:
“Just putting in the work, I think the debut is coming, it’s looking like June 4th. I believe Thailand, we’re still getting the hundred percent in writing and everything, but that’s what it’s looking like. It was gonna be earlier, but I think June 4th is gonna be the call.”
While Kade has also been wrestling since a young age, there have been questions about his striking prowess. According to the fighter, it is something that he has worked on extensively in the lead-up to his eventual MMA debut. Currently, Ruotolo is in a position where he is comfortable in his striking, revealing that he looks up to UFC megastar Nate Diaz in that department.
Kade Ruotolo takes on Francisco Lo at ONE Fight Night 21
All things considered, Kade Ruotolo making his MMA debut will be a massive occasion when it happens. For the most part, there is no news as to whether his twin brother Tye will also follow suit to pursue MMA in the future. Currently, it is certain that the brothers will be focused on their upcoming contest when they both share the stage at ONE Fight Night 21.
Notably, the 21-year-old World Champions will be at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 5. Whilst Tye will put his ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title on the line against Australian standout Izaak Michell, Kade will face the Brazilian submission artist Francisco Lo in a non-title 180-pound catchweight contest.
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Ahead of the fight, Kade Ruotolo had some interesting things to say about the matchup in an interview with SCMP MMA:
“I’m super excited especially because of the match-up. I know Francisco is an exciting match-up. He throws kind of a caution to the wind and throws out crazy submissions like jumping triangles, flying triangles, and footlocks. He kind of attacks all parts of the body. So it will be an entertaining match-up for sure.”
For those unaware, Francisco Lo is a renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and one of the most creative submission artists in the game. making his promotional debut with the fight, Lo has been seeking to compete against the Ruotolo brothers for a while now. As such, the matchup has finally transpired and will most certainly make for a solid watch.