Kade Ruotolo and Dzhabir Dzhabrailov have never been taken the distance in MMA. On December 18, both face opponents capable of changing that.
ONE has added two MMA contests to ONE Fight Night 50 on Prime Video, held at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Ruotolo meets former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Ok Rae Yoon at lightweight, while Dzhabrailov faces Maurice Abevi at welterweight.
Ruotolo, the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion, holds a 4-0 MMA record with four finishes. Each of those wins has earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus.
The 23-year-old's most recent appearance showed growth in his striking. He dropped Hiroyuki Tetsuka with a right cross and finished him with elbows from mount, recording the first knockout of his career.
Across both MMA and submission grappling, the California native is 10-0 in ONE. Ok is the most accomplished opponent he has faced in four-ounce gloves.
Ok captured the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title by defeating Christian Lee and was named ONE's 2021 Male MMA Fighter of the Year. He enters the contest at 17-6 and on a two-fight losing streak, which makes the bout important for both men.
For Ruotolo, a win over a former titleholder would represent the clearest evidence yet that his MMA game can compete at the top of the division. For Ok, it is an opportunity to reestablish himself against one of the sport's most decorated grapplers.
The welterweight bout carries similar stakes. Dzhabrailov, 21, is 7-0 with a 100 percent finishing rate, combining a strong wrestling base with heavy power.
His most recent fight tested both. Chase Mann knocked him down in the ONE Fight Night 42 main event before Dzhabrailov recovered to secure his fifth consecutive first-round finish.
Abevi, 27, holds a 9-1 record with eight wins inside the distance. Since a narrow loss in his promotional debut, the Swiss fighter has won three straight, including finishes of Samat Mamedov and Blake Cooper.
Both bouts sit within the same title picture. Lee holds the ONE Lightweight and Welterweight MMA World Titles and defends the lightweight belt against Tye Ruotolo, Kade's twin brother, at The Inner Circle 37 on November 6.
A decisive result on December 18 could move any of the four into position for a World Title opportunity.
