"Definitely not an easy fight" - Kade Ruotolo won't underestimate Blake Cooper in MMA debut at ONE 167

ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is expecting a tough introduction to MMA on the global stage of ONE Championship at ONE 167 on June 7.

That evening, the Atos representative turns his dream into reality as he competes in the all-encompassing discipline for the first time. Meeting him in a lightweight MMA tie inside Bangkok's Impact Arena is fellow American fighter Blake Cooper.

The 21-year-old has been eager to kickstart this chapter of his career for as long as he can remember. And though excitement is very well in the picture, the afro-haired athlete knows he must proceed with caution against Cooper's adaptiveness in MMA.

Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA, Kade Ruotolo shared:

"It's definitely not an easy fight, you know. He's got some heavy hands and some great wrestling. So, you know, on paper, it's going to be a difficult matchup for sure."

Watch the full interview here:

Ruotolo relayed that message to Sportskeeda shortly after getting his hand raised for the sixth time at Francisco Lo's expense under the ONE spotlight at ONE Fight Night 21 this past Friday, April 5.

The youngest-ever ADCC world champion pushed for action against the Brazilian athlete from the sound of the bell, furiously looking for openings during several entanglements.

When the opportunity presented itself, the 21-year-old did not look back. He secured back control and sunk in a modified arm-in choke from the back, now dubbed the 'Ruotolo-tine choke,' to force a tap at the 4:48 mark of the 10-minute single-round affair.

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Kade Ruotolo 'so stoked' to kickstart MMA dream

Kade Ruotolo remains pumped to put his gold on offer and continue flying the submission grappling flag high on the global stage of ONE Championship. And he's carrying on that desire and motivation as he tests himself under a new ruleset.

After all, strapping on the 4-ounce gloves gives the grappling wizard a chance to achieve a unique dream and expand his world-class resume.

During the post-event ONE Fight Night 21 press conference, he added:

"It's gonna be an absolutely massive matchup. I've just been anticipating this so much, my MMA debut. I'm so stoked that it's finally happening, finally."

A two-sport world title dream could follow suit, but first, he will need to get his MMA run off to a perfect start against Blake Cooper at ONE 167 in Bangkok, Thailand.

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire card live and for free in U.S. primetime on June 7.