"That's like the Mickey Mouse thing" - Kade Ruotolo slams BJJ gyms selling belts instead of promoting based on merit

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is never one to be afraid of speaking his mind regardless of what the topic is, with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belter taking aim at those who have been prioritizing money over the spirit of the sport.

Appearing on the Jaxxon Podcast, one-half of the vaunted Ruotolo twins blasted those BJJ schools that allow students to pay their way to get their next degree or belt:

"That's the crazy thing nowadays, you can just buy belts. That's like the Mickey Mouse thing, McDonald's jiu-jitsu gyms out there. You train for 60 days, you become a white belt with four stripes."

Check out the full interview with Kade Ruotolo below:

Ruotolo surely knows the amount of effort and dedication it needs to become a full-fledged BJJ black belter as he and twin brother Tye, the reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champ, have been training since they were three years old.

Now 21, the Ruotolos' commitment to their craft has brought them to unimaginable heights, and despite their achievements, they have high aspirations for their respective combat sports careers.

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Kade Ruotolo to make long-awaited MMA debut in June

The Ruotolo twins have long been hinting at trying their hand at MMA and it will be Kade who gets first crack at the multi-faceted sport as he faces American brawler Blake Cooper in a lightweight MMA bout at ONE 167 on June 7 inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Despite Cooper losing in his ONE Championship debut via TKO, the 27-year-old is a hard-nosed striker and will look to force Ruotolo out of his comfort zone when they meet in the Circle.

ONE 167 will air live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.