Kade Ruotolo, the reigning and undisputed ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion, is making his next appearance in the ONE Championship ring with Tommy Langaker, the IBJJF world champion. He is doing it for one purpose, and one reason only: he wants to submit the dangerous Norwegian grappler for good.
At ONE Fight Night 11 on Prime Video, which took place in June of 2023, Ruotolo had his first encounter with Langaker. As Langaker’s defense proved to be impenetrable, the 21-year-old was confronted with a slightly more difficult challenge than expected. The outcome was a triumph for the American, who was able to keep his gold. The verdict favoring the American was unanimous.
Both of them are now planning to engage in a rematch that would be truly epic.
The lightweight submission grappling gold that Ruotolo has earned will be put to the test when he competes against Langaker in the co-main event of ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru, which will be televised live from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on the 28th of January.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Ruotolo stated that he has analyzed his first fight with Langaker and made the necessary improvements. He also stated that he has made the necessary adjustments. Now, he is certain that he will be able to put an end to Langaker once and for all.
The BJJ phenom, who is 21 years old, stated:
“I have no doubt that he has been working and training in the laboratory, and as a result, I have no doubt that his self-assurance is feeling very good. I’ve been acting in the same manner. My brother and I have been working together to correct all of the errors and flaws in the details. I’m not just confident; I’m also energized and excited.
Kade Ruotolo on Tommy Langaker’s guard game: “He’s very good at it”
Despite the fact that he is self-assured, Kade Ruotolo is mindful not to overlook Tommy Langaker because he has established himself as a challenging opponent in the past.
Ruotolo shared his thoughts with ONE Championship regarding Langaker’s mysterious guard game.
“I am at ease neither on the back nor on the feet, and I am able to wrestle regardless of the direction the match takes. You are aware that Tommy is required to play the role of guard. It is necessary for him to be on his back for the majority of the time, and he almost always employs the same attack. And he is really skilled in it. Because to his exceptional adaptability, he has achieved a great deal of success.
Fans in the United States and Canada will be able to watch ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru live on watch.onefc.com, which is dedicated to worldwide pay-per-view events. Please go to the official website of ONE Championship to obtain additional information regarding the means by which you can watch the event from wherever you were.
