Reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo is all set to defend his title in the upcoming ONE 168: Denver event. He will be facing flyweight submission grappling kingpin Mikey Musumeci in a highly exciting grappling match. Musumeci will be moving up three weight classes to become a two-division champion. While the fight is nothing short of a blockbuster, the pair seem to be in awe of each other. 

Unlike most clashes, this particular one has no trash-talking involved. The mutual respect between the two is massive, and in a recent interview with Cage Side Press, Ruotolo said, “We got no bad vibes or anything like that. Just two technical athletes going at it.” While there is no bad blood between the two, the clash at ONE 168: Denver holds massive importance for both. Let us take a closer look at their upcoming clash. 

Mikey Musumeci and Kade Ruotolo battle it out for supremacy in Denver 

Kade Ruotolo and Mikey Musumeci are two of the biggest superstars in the world of BJJ. Ruotolo has already made a massive impact on the sport and is already shifting his focus to his transition to the all-encompassing sport of MMA. In his last outing, the 21-year-old took on Blake Cooper in a lightweight MMA bout at ONE 167 this past June and emerged victorious in the very first round. However, he is returning to his roots to defend his belt against one of the best in the sport, Mikey Musumeci. The ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion is one of the best in the sport. 

The ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion was also present at the same event, where he looked to avenge the last loss of his career against Gabriel Sousa. After making easy work of the Brazilian, he will now look to conquer the lightweight division. Both fighters have gained a lot of respect from fellow fighters as well.

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, in one of his podcast episodes, mentioned the two young grappling savants, saying, “It’s incredible like the level of just Jiu-Jitsu now is so high you know Mikey Musu͏meci and you know the Ruotolo͏ brothers and all these different guys out there just so much high level.” The skill level is massive and the hunger to make themselves better is second to none. 

Ruotolo feels there is no bad blood between them and Musumeci echoes this sentiment. The 28-year-old is one of the most soft-spoken fighters and in a recent interview shared his opinion on his talented compatriot. 

Mikey Musumeci is nothing but excited for his clash against Kade Ruotolo 

Mikey Musumeci is one of those rare fighters who is never shy from challenging himself in his illustrious career. At 28 years old, he is already considered one of the greatest grapplers in the sport. But it seems he is hungrier for more and is willing to test himself against a fellow young star who has put his stamp on the sport. ‘Darth Rigatoni’ is proud that he is competing with someone like him who advocates for natural athletes in the sport. In a recent interview with The MMA Hour, he said, “Kade and me are both the two best natural athletes in jiu-jitsu – and Tye, of course.” 

Musumeci also made it clear that he is not worried about winning anymore when he takes on Ruotolo. The 28-year-old is more focused on him testing himself against the lightweight champion. In a video posted by Treigning Lab’s YouTube page, he said, “This isn’t about money for me. This isn’t about just winning. I can win in my division, obviously, you guys can see I can win in my division. That’s why I want to roll with the best guys.” 

The highly anticipated grappling clash is all set to entertain the fans in Denver. Who do you think will win between the two? Let us know about it in the comments below.