After MMA debut win, Kade Ruotolo promises return to all-encompassing sport: “I had so much fun”

Following his triumphant MMA debut at ONE 167 on Prime Video, Kade Ruotolo is contemplating his next steps in the sport.

The current ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion seamlessly transitioned in front of a sold-out crowd at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 7.

There, he defeated Blake Cooper in a lightweight MMA joust. He needed less than a round to get the job done.

With the success of his maiden venture, Ruotolo plans to do it again.

“I want to get right back to the MMA realm, to be honest with you. I had so much fun out there tonight. I honestly want to go back out and do it again,” he said.

The Atos Jiu-Jitsu member was nothing short of impressive against Cooper. In the fight, he demonstrated his striking game before swiftly transitioning to his grappling expertise.

With precision timing, Ruotolo took Cooper down. From there, he applied a body triangle, then locked in a rear-naked choke to force the tap.

Despite his stellar performance, Ruotolo himself acknowledges that there is still significant room for improvement.

“I feel like [you are] your biggest critic most of the time. So, I’ve seen a lot of mistakes, or just felt like I made a lot of mistakes on the feet,” he said.

“But at the same time, I just got that nervous energy, that nervous debut, and I can’t wait to go show people what I can do on the feet as well.”

Kade Ruotolo returns to action at ONE 168

Despite the excitement surrounding his debut, another MMA bout isn’t in Kade Ruotolo’s immediate future.

His focus now shifts back to the realm where he first rose to stardom.

At ONE 168: Denver on September 6, Ruotolo will defend his ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title against flyweight king Mikey Musumeci.

This match will see Ruotolo return to his grappling roots. He faces off against one of the sport’s most prolific athletes.