Blake Copper isn’t afraid to scramble on the canvas in his lightweight MMA tussle with ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo this weekend. The Hawaiian comes face-to-face with Ruotolo at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video.
The intriguing fight goes down at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7. Ruotolo is arguably one of the best submission artists on the planet and remains undefeated in his six appearances in ONE Championship under submission grappling rules.
But the laidback Cooper is characteristically unfazed as Ruotolo makes his MMA debut. “I expect anything, you know? If he wants to stand, we can stand. And when it comes to the ground, I believe I can hold my own on the mats,” he said.
“So wherever it takes us, this is an MMA fight, so it’s a little bit different. But yeah, I’m expecting anything really, whether it be stand up or on the ground, just being ready for any type of scenario.” He said.
Cooper will certainly have the experience advantage in MMA. The 28-year-old went undefeated in amateur MMA and has three fights under his belt as a professional.
Blake Cooper plans to show Kade Ruotolo why MMA is different
Blake Cooper is planning a rude welcome to the MMA ranks for ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo at ONE 167.
Ruotolo undoubtedly poses a threat if the fight goes to the ground, but Cooper believes that the added dimension of ground strikes will make it hard for the 21-year-old to flex his submission prowess.
“When he’s going for submissions or he’s trying to do something with me, if I can catch him a couple of times, he’s gonna think twice and hopefully let go of those submissions, and it’s gonna open up more opportunities for me,” he said.
“Striking while on the ground will be important.” Cooper hails from an iconic Hawaiian fighting family. The Lion of Judah representative’s father is a former MMA fighter and his brother is also a decorated former MMA World Champion.
Blake Cooper will look to live up to his family’s legacy as he takes on the BJJ phenom, albeit under MMA rules. Do you think Cooper can beat Ruotolo? Do let us know in the comments section.