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Kade Ruotolo knows he cannot afford to take his eye off the ball when he returns at ONE Fight Night 21.
The ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion has proven himself to be one of the best grapplers in the world but when it comes to the highest level, anything can happen.
His next challenge provides an interesting test as he goes up against Francisco Lo in a 180-pound catchweight non-title bout.
Lo has earned a reputation for being a creative submission threat that can catch opponents off guard with his arsenal of attacks.
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This is something that Kade is excited to test himself against to see if he can avoid falling into any of the traps that are set for him.
In an interview with CountFilms TV ahead of April 5, the world champion said that his opponent's specific skill set will keep him on his toes in this contest:
"I think my competitor he's kind of a bit of a question mark in a sense where he's well-rounded and he has submissions kind of everywhere from bottom or from top. He's explosive everywhere so I really, you know, just must pay attention to whatever he does."
Watch the full interview below:
Kade Ruotolo is a young veteran at this stage
Kade Ruotolo may still only be 21 years old but his experience at the highest level far outweighs his age.
The lightweight submission grappling world champion is used to take on different styles under the ONE Championship banner and that will only help him to prepare for this next contest.
His win over Tommy Langaker in January showed once again that the champ isn't loosening his grip over the division. At catchweight this time around, he is continuing to look for challenges that will motivate him to stay on top of his game.
We will find out on April 5 at Lumpinee Stadium whether Francisco Lo will be able to make this one a competitive clash.
ONE Fight Night 21 will air live and free at US prime time for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.
