ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo will dare to be great in a new sport this summer when he straps on 4-ounce gloves for the first time to make his MMA debut at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga.
The 21-year-old superstar will meet Blake Cooper on Saturday, 8th June, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, and he couldn’t be more excited for the fresh challenge against a noteworthy opponent.
“The first week of June, it’s on. I’m super fired up. It’s been a long time coming. I have a tough opponent in Blake Cooper ahead of me,” Ruotolo said.
“The entire Cooper family are legends. Heavy hands and good wrestling. It will be an amazing matchup. In about a month from now, I’ll be back out here in Thailand.”
Ruotolo rose to stardom in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world due to his ruthless and relentless approach to action, and those two characteristics have pushed him to a perfect slate in ONE that includes capturing the lightweight submission grappling crown in October 2022.
But grappling is just a fraction of the skills needed to succeed in the all-encompassing sport of MMA, and the journey to round out his skill set has been humbling for Ruotolo up to this point.
He knows Cooper will meet his aggression head-on, and that’s a challenge the 21-year-old is seeking in his debut.
“I’m no Mike Tyson or a Superlek. I’m not quite there yet. But every day, I’m getting better and polishing my hands. The main thing is that I’m comfortable striking. I’m not too scared of punches, which is usually the biggest barrier to overcome,” Ruotolo said.
“I’ve already watched his last ONE Championship performance. I’m definitely not taking anybody lightly. He has some heavy hands and good wrestling. He’s a scrapper. Anyone from Hawaii is a scrapper. I know that for sure, so I’m excited.”
