Present ADCC and ONE submission grappling champion Kade Ruotolo will make his MMA debut towards Blake Cooper.
Kade Ruotolo’s long-awaited MMA debut is lastly on the calendar.
Sports Illustrated has reported that on Friday, June 7, at ONE 167, the 21-year-old BJJ prodigy will tackle Hawaii’s Blake Cooper in a three-round skilled MMA contest.
Constantly ranked among the many high pound-for-pound BJJ rivals within the sport, Ruotolo is the reigning ONE light-weight submission grappling world champion and the present ADCC world champion at 77kg – an honor he earned with a 100% submission price throughout 4 matches. He boasts notable wins over present Who’s Quantity One champion Mica Galvao, two-time IBJJF gi world champion Matheus Gabriel, in addition to present IBJJF no-gi world champions Roberto Jimenez and Tommy Langaker.
Ruotolo has competed nearly solely in ONE because the 2022 ADCC World Championships however has not too long ago made a foray into gi competitors as he presumably prepares for a run on the 2024 IBJJF Worlds. He made his IBJJF black belt debut earlier this yr and earned a dominant factors victory over Natan Chueng.
The California native is slated to face IBJJF no-gi Pans champion Francisco Lo in a 180-pound non-title bout on April 5 at ONE Combat Evening 21.
Ruotolo has hinted at an MMA debut for a while and has been seen working with famed placing coach Jason Parillo, who has coached a variety of elite MMA fighters, together with Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, and Marlon “Chito” Vera.
Ruotolo’s opponent, Cooper, owns a 3-0 newbie MMA file and a 2-1 skilled file. The 27-year-old most not too long ago competed final September at ONE Combat Evening when he suffered a knockout loss to rising star Maurice Abevi.
Cooper is the son of Hawaiian MMA trailblazer Ray Cooper Jr. and the brother of former PFL world champion Ray Cooper III.
Given Ruotolo’s accolades as a grappler, he’ll deliver with him loads of lofty expectations as he transitions into the all-around sport of MMA. And whereas Cooper will current a reputable problem for the debuting BJJ black belt, Ruotolo will understandably be thought of a big favourite on this matchup.
Methods to watch: Kade Ruotolo vs. Blake Cooper will happen on Friday, June 7, at ONE 167 on the Impression Enviornment in Bangkok, Thailand, and can air reside on Prime Video (free with Amazon Plus subscription) starting at 8:00 PM EST.
