“It’s Been a Long Time Coming” – Kade Ruotolo Fired Up to Make MMA Debut Against Blake Cooper at ONE 167

ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo is finally making his highly anticipated transition to mixed martial arts, and he is just as excited as the fans are for his upcoming match.

The American grappling prodigy is set to face compatriot Blake Cooper in a lightweight MMA battle at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video on Friday, June 7, inside Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Kade Ruotolo set for MMA debut after innovative submission victory

Last Friday, April 5, the 21-year-old again proved why he’s one of the best grapplers on the planet when he tapped BJJ black belt Francisco Lo with an innovative submission he and his twin brother, Tye, dub the “Ruotolotine”.

With three successful defenses of his World Title and a perfect 6-0 record in the world’s largest martial arts organization, the Atos representative has been looking for a new challenge, and he broke down his upcoming MMA debut in his post-fight interview this past weekend.

“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. The entire Cooper family are legend. 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 said.

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Ruotolo is not in a mood to underestimate his opponent

Cooper is a second-generation fighter, carrying the legacy of his father, Ray Cooper Jr., and his uncle, Ronald Jhun. The Hawaii native made his professional debut at ONE Fight Night 14 in September last year but suffered his first professional loss when Swiss fighter Maurice Abevi stopped him in the first round.

Despite the defeat, Cooper was able to give fans – and Ruotolo – a glimpse of the skills that make him a formidable opponent for anyone, and the lightweight submission grappling king was watching intently.

“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. I just want to stay as active as possible and check all the boxes. MMA, jiu-jitsu, and everything else after that may come with it,” he said.

Despite competing in a new sport in his next ONE Championship outing, Ruotolo assured fans that he isn’t about to give up on his first love of jiu-jitsu.

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