“I’ve been wanting to do that” – Kade Ruotolo says he’s been itching to make his MMA debut in ONE Championship

Kade Ruotolo’s move to another sport may occur sooner rather than later.

The current ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion has consistently expressed his eagerness to transition into mixed martial arts, and he has recently indicated that he will soon make his debut in the versatile sport.

In a conversation with the South China Morning Post, Ruotolo implied that he already has a rival prepared and all that remains is to make the journey to the Circle.

“It was Kade Ruotolo who said,”

“I don’t have a specific name. I just want to get into the water and finally make that debut. It’s been a long time that I’ve been wanting to do that. I’ve wanted to [do this] for a while.”

Despite his continued dedication to his submission grappling career, Ruotolo has also expanded his training to include striking while living in California and during his trips to Thailand.

The 21-year-old underwent training in the United States with UFC star Chito Vera and also honed his Muay Thai and kickboxing skills in Bangkok with former ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon.

Despite hinting at a future move to MMA, Ruotolo remains focused on building his legacy in the world of submission grappling and has a lot of work ahead of him.

On Friday, during US primetime, at the renowned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, the American celebrity will face off against Francisco Lo in a 180-pound catchweight submission grappling match at ONE Fight Night 21.

View the complete interview with Ruotolo below:

Kade Ruotolo and Francisco Lo Share Similar Offensive Philosophies

Despite facing opponents with an aggressive grappling style, Kade Ruotolo consistently delivered strong performances in his fights.

Francisco Lo, on the other hand, is much more than just that.

The Brazilian player not only displays assertiveness in his offensive plays, but also possesses a similar style to that of Ruotolo’s.

During a conversation with The Shintaro Higashi Show, Ruotolo expressed:

“Just win, you know. He’s a bit of a question mark as far as his game goes, he’s very, almost similar to me, in a sense where he’s an opportunist, where he just kind of sends attacks from anywhere and just makes it happen.”

For Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada, ONE Fight Night 21 is accessible for free and will be live-streamed.

View Ruotolo’s complete interview in the video below: