Kade Ruotolo dreams of ONE lightweight MMA gold: “That’s the top of the mountain” 

There’s simply no stopping ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo. The 21-year-old superstar impressed in his second MMA bout this past weekend at ONE 169.   

Ruotolo showed his striking superiority against Ahmed Mujtaba on Friday, November 8, at Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. He downed the Pakistani ace with a right hand before submitting him in just 64 seconds of their lightweight MMA bout to move to 2-0 in the all-encompassing sport.

The Atos product’s plan was to show more of his versatility, and he believes he did that through his lightning-fast hands.   

“The last fight was more of a jiu-jitsu finish, and I wanted to show that I got some hands, too,” Ruotolo said.   

“I’m super stoked that right hand clicked. I got the knockdown, probably could have finished it there. But I just couldn’t resist the D’Arce opportunity. It’s always there.” 

Given his repertoire, fans are already wondering how a showdown with two-weight ONE MMA World Champion Christian Lee would look.  

While it’s still early days for the 21-year-old’s MMA career, Ruotolo would welcome the opportunity. 

“I’m a very ambitious person, so I like the sound of it. That being said, it’s only my second MMA fight. So, you know, go straight to the belt, there’s a massive opportunity,” he said. 

“Personally, I’m down. But I know my coaches, my team, and everyone around me, is going to be saying do it smart, get the experience. That’s the top of the mountain in MMA, right? So might as well enjoy it as well.” 

What’s next for Kade Ruotolo?

ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo showed up and showed out at ONE 169. And his future continues to get brighter and brighter with every appearance. But what’s next? 

The American plans to take the remainder of 2024 to recover for a big 2025. He’s taken to MMA competition like a duck to water, so he could remain in the sport.  

But if he has it his way, Ruotolo would love nothing more than to go back and forth between disciplines and continue cementing his legacy as an all-time fighting great.