We take a look at Kade Ruotolo vs. Francisco Lo and Tye Ruotolo vs. Izaak Michell at ONE Combat Night time 21 on April 5.
ONE Championship will host two of probably the most intriguing submission grappling matches within the promotion’s historical past at ONE Combat Night time 21.
First, present ADCC and ONE world champion Kade Ruotolo will conflict with Francisco Lo in a non-title affair. And within the night’s co-main occasion, Tye Ruotolo will defend his ONE welterweight submission grappling world title towards top-ranked contender Izaak Michell.
Each of these matchups will go down tonight, April 5, on the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Earlier than the motion will get underway, we take a better take a look at every of those bouts.
Kade Ruotolo vs. Francisco Lo
At 21 years previous, Kade Ruotolo (alongside along with his twin brother Tye) is a mainstay on most pound-for-pound lists.
Whereas the younger Californian was lengthy thought-about a prodigy, he appeared to lastly attain his full potential in 2022 when he took residence gold on the ADCC World Championships on the power of 4 straight submissions. Since then, he has earned an undefeated document in ONE Championship with key victories over gi world champion Matheus Gabriel and no-gi world champion Tommy Langaker.
Lo, in the meantime, is a rising star in BJJ who might solidify himself as a high expertise with a victory over Ruotolo. The Brazilian burst onto the scene in 2022 with sensational submission wins over ADCC veteran Oliver Taza and European champion Adam Wardzinski. He has since continued to compete on the elite degree, notably successful gold on the 2023 IBJJF No-Gi Pans.
Stylistically, this matchup ought to produce loads of motion. Although he’s didn’t safe the end in his previous three ONE outings, Ruotolo stays one of many sport’s most opportunistic submission artists, equally able to securing the d’arce choke as he’s the heel hook or armbar.
The American pushes a relentless tempo and customarily prefers to work from the highest place the place he possesses world-class guard passing.
For his half, Lo is a well-rounded grappler whose greatest talent set is his potential to seek out artistic submissions within the blink of a watch. The 23-year-old is snug in leg lock shootouts – impressively submitting leg lock specialist Jacob Sofa with an Estima lock on the 2023 No-Gi Pans.
Search for Ruotolo to take a position some power early in securing high place. If he’s ready to do this, he’ll probably make use of high-paced outdoors passing to keep away from Lo’s extremely harmful closed guard. Lo, then again, ought to attempt to decelerate his foe, both by wrapping him up in closed guard or incomes high place the place he tends to depend on strain passing to create alternatives for the back-take.
Tye Ruotolo vs. Izaak Michell
High-ranked 185-pound rivals Tye Ruotolo and Izaak Michell have been focusing on one another for months, with each males calling one another out since final summer time.
Like his brother Kade, Tye is extensively regarded among the many sport’s high pound-for-pound athletes. He’s the youngest-ever IBJJF black belt world champion, an ADCC absolute bronze medalist, and undefeated in ONE Championship.
Ruotolo will come into this contest following a dominant win over ADCC veteran Magomed Abdulkadirov that earned him the inaugural ONE welterweight title.
Towards Michell, the younger American will likely be in for the stiffest check of his ONE tenure.
Though he’s only a brown belt in BJJ, Australia’s Michell is undoubtedly among the many elite of the elite and is usually acknowledged as one of many high two or three 185-pound grapplers within the sport.
The 25-year-old previously educated beneath John Danaher, then Craig Jones throughout his fast ascension to the world-class degree. Michell gained gold on the 2022 ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials and, later that 12 months, defeated tenth Planet standout Kyle Chambers in a no-time-limit match to win FloGrappling’s Who’s Subsequent actuality present.
He would go on to endure a first-round defeat to Vagner Rocha within the opening spherical of the 2022 ADCC World Championships, however that thrilling encounter earned him Match of the Event honors.
Michell has since defeated high rivals corresponding to ADCC qualifiers Jozef Chen and Jacob Couch, in addition to present IBJJF no-gi absolute world champion Roberto Jimenez.
When it comes to how this match will go down, followers can count on a good quantity of grappling on the toes, as each athletes are gifted wrestlers who are inclined to do their greatest work from high place. Look ahead to Michell’s duck unders and throw-by’s, as he’s probably the greatest on the earth at shifting on to the again from a standing place.
Ruotolo, in the meantime, will intention to do what he does in each outing: apply an extremely excessive tempo and strain with the purpose of carrying his opponent down earlier than discovering the match-ending submission. The American is usually snug attacking from his guard, however he’s unlikely to play backside place towards such a gifted guard passer. As an alternative, search for Ruotolo to hunt for entrance headlocks and soar on any again publicity from the highest place.
Find out how to watch: ONE Combat Night time 21 takes place on Friday, April 5, and can air dwell on Prime Video (free with Amazon Plus subscription) starting at 8:00 PM EST.
