“Less of a Pace” – Kade Ruotolo Shares How He Is Different From Twin Brother Tye Ruotolo in Grappling Style

Twin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prodigies Kade and Tye Ruotolo have spent nearly their entire lives on the mats together, perfecting their craft and each become ONE Submission Grappling World Champions.

Kade – the reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion – is now preparing for the toughest test of his ONE tenure, as he’s set to defend his gold against flyweight submission grappling kingpin Mikey “Darth Rigatoni” Musumeci on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver.

That blockbuster showdown will air live in U.S. primetime from the Ball Arena and will mark Ruotolo’s fourth defense of his World Title since winning it back in 2022.

In many ways, Kade and his twin brother Tye are mirror images of each other. Kade is the youngest-ever ADCC World Champion, while Tye is the youngest-ever IBJJF Black Belt World Champion.

Both possess an electrifying, ultra-aggressive style of grappling that’s earned them legions of fans around the globe.

However, there are some less obvious differences between the 21-year-old superstars and how they go about their submission hunting.

While both are explosive athletes and supremely skilled in all areas of submission grappling, Kade says that they approach competition in fundamentally different ways.

Kade Ruotolo compares himself to his brother, Tye Ruotolo

He says that Tye – the current ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion – focuses on breaking his opponents with pace and pressure, ultimately achieving the submission after an onslaught of offense, “Tye is like an avalanche, where he starts and just… the avalanche is coming, and coming, and coming. And it just keeps growing and becoming stronger until you just are overwhelmed, and you can’t take it, and you break, and he finishes you – for the most part. Unless he just snipes through your game and subs you there.”

In contrast, Kade says that he’s a more opportunistic finisher, always ready to pounce on any submission at a moment’s notice.

The lightweight submission grappling king explained, “Me, for the most part, I try to be more spontaneous and less of a pace, more of just a window, more opportunity-based. I need more of his pace for sure. We always say, what he has I need, and vice versa. I would say those are the main differences.”