BJJ World Champion Matheus Gabriel Explains Why He Signed With ONE

Matheus Gabriel is ready to make a statement in his promotional debut inside the ONE Championship Circle. The Brazilian grappling sensation challenges Kade Ruotolo for his newly attained ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title in a 10-minute-round submission battle at ONE on Prime Video 5 on December 2.

It is set to be one of the toughest tests of his career. But the 25-year-old admits that he isn’t concerned about the prospect of taking on the seemingly unstoppable American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist. Instead, he is anticipating all the thrills and spills that may occur when they compete inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Matheus Gabriel lauded his opponent Kade Ruotolo

“My expectation to make my debut in ONE against Kade Ruotolo is very high. I am very happy and looking forward to making this debut,” the fighter from the world-renowned Checkmat Gym said.

“I’m very happy with the opportunity to fight for the belt. Kade is a guy who has a very aggressive game and fights forward all the time. I like this game; it’s a style I like. Always fighting forward, without [stalling]. I really admire his style.”

Gabriel is already considered one of the best BJJ athletes of this generation. He has scooped up multiple BJJ World Championship golds through a variety of colored belt divisions. That success has helped as he prepares for Ruotolo, who has been on a dominant roll of late. 

Matheus Gabriel intends to step up to the challenge

The lightweight submission grappling king has enjoyed a perfect 2022. After successfully decimating Shinya Aoki in his ONE debut, the star made history by becoming the youngest ADCC World Champion this past September.

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And just a month later, Ruotolo became the inaugural ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion by defeating Russian Sambo stylist Uali Kurzhev. Gabriel certainly knows the level of competition he will face this Friday. However, win or lose, the Brazilian sees his upcoming fight as a significant step in his young career.

“Signing with ONE Championship is an honor. Without a doubt, it is a big step in my career. ONE Championship is one of the biggest martial arts events in the world,” he said.

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“The grappling division is still new. But [it] already has big names like Buchecha, Garry Tonon, and the Ruotolo brothers. Joining them is an honor. I am very happy to be part of ONE.”

Fans in the U.S. and Canada can watch ONE on Prime Video 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin live for free with an Amazon Prime subscription on Friday, December 2.