Striking: “Look forward to seeing it play out” - Fans express lofty expectations on BJJ phenom Kade Ruotolo’s rapidly improving striking

Lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo has done well in MMA and is continuously showcasing his rapidly-evolving striking skills. It is something that fight fans are looking forward to witnessing further as he forges ahead in the mutlifaceted sport alongside jiu-jitsu.

ONE Championship recently posted a video of Ruotolo honing his striking with his team on Instagram. He can be seen working on his rhythm with his kicks, knees and punches in preparation for MMA matches in 2025.

Fans gave their takes on the progress that Kade Ruotolo has been showing with his striking. Below are what some of them wrote in the comments section of the post.

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A fan shared how he liked that Ruotolo is working on his striking game to complement his already-solid jiu-jitsu and looking forward to seeing its product when he resumes MMA action. The fan wrote:

"Elite jits with an an elite striking coach could equate to big problems for opponents. Look forward to seeing it play out!"

Another had a four-word reaction, saying:

"Kid is a stud"

Positive reactions continued for Ruotolo and below are screenshots of some of them.

Kade Ruotolo is ONE MMA Fighter of the Year

As further testament to the major inroads that Kade Ruotolo has made in MMA, he was named ONE Championship's MMA Fighter of the Year for 2024 apart from being adjudged as the best in submission grappling.

The Atos standout made his MMA debut back in June and impressed with an opening-round submission victory (rear-naked choke) over fellow American Blake Cooper. He then followed it up with another first-round submission (D'Arce choke) win in his next match in November over Pakistani veteran Ahmed Mujtaba. Both of his wins earned his $50,000 performance bonuses.

Meanwhile, he remained one of the best in submission grappling in 2024 and successfully defended the lightweight belt in a rematch with Tommy Langaker of Norway by decision in January last year. He followed that up with a submission win over Brazilian Francisco Lo in April.

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A graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in English Studies, basketball caught Michael's imagination from an early age. Varsity basketball helped Michael to express himself, and later, it opened doors into the world of journalism.

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Edited by Krishna Venki