“He's putting jiu-jitsu and people his age on the map” - Danielle Kelly says Kade Ruotolo’s ADCC win opened eyes

Danielle Kelly believes Kade Ruotolo’s ADCC win has helped grow jiu-jitsu.

Combat sports fans were shocked when Ruotolo, 19, became the youngest ADCC champion earlier this year. He and his twin brother Tye Ruotolo have emerged as superstars with some help from ONE Championship.

Kelly, another well-known name in the jiu-jitsu community, was interviewed by ONE Championship and said this about Kade Ruotolo's ADCC win:

“It's a great big deal. He's putting jiu-jitsu and people his age on the map, it's pretty impressive. You know, I think it's a big deal because he's going into his match with his opponent and he should definitely take him seriously. I think he's on a roll. I've been watching him come up. He was losing and then he started to win, he went against my teammate, or old teammates, and won matches. It's really cool to see his development, coming up over the past year or two.”

Kelly made her ONE debut in March, where she went to a draw with Mei Yamaguchi. At 26 years old, she has an opportunity to become a household name for combat sports fans because of ONE Championship’s continuous expansion into submission grappling.

Watch Danielle Kelly admit to being open about future fight against Angela Lee below:

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Danielle Kelly makes prediction for Kade Ruotolo vs. Uali Kurzhev

Kade Ruotolo has exploded in popularity since his ADCC run, where he submitted all of his opponents. His next challenge will be the inaugural submission grappling lightweight championship matchup against Uali Kurzhev.

Danielle Kelly had this to say about Ruotolo vs. Kurzhev:

“I'm pretty sure they probably fight in a cage, so maybe that's the only advantage they have. If you're going into [a fight with] a national champion, or a number one, you should most definitely take them seriously… It's an interesting matchup, sambo versus jiu-jitsu, and in the cage. I think it's a pretty cool matchup. I think Kade's going to beat them.”

Young phenoms like the Ruotolo brothers, Kelly, and Mikey Musumeci are the future of submission grappling. ONE Championship’s dedication to the art of submissions has separated them from other combat sports promotions.