Kade Ruotolo explains why combat jiu-jitsu could add more flare to submission grappling matches

Kade Ruotolo believes combat jiu-jitsu could add a little more excitement and the likelihood of finishes in ONE Championship’s submission grappling division.

Combat jiu-jitsu is a relatively newer sport that blends the worlds of submission grappling and mixed martial arts. The rules of CJJ essentially follow the same set established by jiu-jitsu but add the option to land open palm slaps. Speaking about potentially implementing CJJ into ONE’s submission grappling, Ruotolo said:

“So if a guy's on his ball, like, for example, my last match, I'm trying to pass, trying to pass, trying to find any submission and they're just staying so tight, just boom. If I could just give them one of those, they're going to be, whoa, and then open up. We'll see how open they are to the idea but I think that can be a really cool thing.”

With ONE Championship always looking for the best possible rule set to keep submission grappling both exciting and full of finishes inside the circle, it’s possible that we could see the addition of open-palm strikes added. Especially as more grapplers toy with the idea of transitioning into mixed martial arts altogether.

On Friday Night, Kade Ruotolo will step back into the ring as ONE Championship returns to the Mecca of Muay Thai, Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, for ONE Fight Night 11 on Prime Video. Ruotolo will put his ONE lightweight submission grappling world championship on the line for the first time in 2023 as he squares off with Tommy Langaker, a 121-win BJJ veteran who, like Ruotolo, is undefeated under the ONE Championship banner.

Fans will also be treated to a main event clash for the ONE lightweight Muay Thai world title as Regian Eersel defends his crown against debuting Russian knockout artist Dmitry Menshikov.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch ONE Fight Night 11 live and for free in U.S. primetime on June 9.