"It's going to be exciting" - Shinya Aoki on Kade Ruotolo grappling match at ONE 157

Shinya Aoki is very much looking forward to his submission grappling match at ONE 157 against the young prodigy, Kade Ruotolo, promising Brazilian jiu-jitsu fans that “it’s going to be exciting.”

Kade Ruotolo, along with his twin brother Tye Ruotolo, will make their ONE submission debut at 155 lbs. and put their grappling skills to the test against seasoned veterans, “Tobikan Judan” and Garry Tonon in Singapore on Friday, May 20.

When asked by Dylan Bowker about his thoughts concerning the upcoming bout with the Californian-native, Aoki answered:

"My impression of him is that he’s a young athlete and it only makes sense that they’re putting out younger athletes and I think it's going to be pretty exciting.”

Aoki also added:

"I really like how it’s really differentiated, between having fun and seeing it as a job. I do what I do because it’s fun and it happens to be my job.”

Listen to the full clip here before you watch ONE 157:

It’s incredible to believe that Shinya Aoki is 20 years older than Kade Ruotolo and it’s only natural that the grappling veteran sees this particular matchup as fun and exciting.

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Kade Ruotolo's ascent to ONE and Shinya Aoki

Kade Ruotolo’s ascent to ONE Championship began in 2019 at age 16, grappling his way up the professional ladder alongside twin brother, Tye Ruotolo.

The two young prodigies first began jiu-jitsu classes at the young age of 3 and developed a natural ability in the sport. For the past three years they’ve competed for professional banners such as FloGrappling WNO, Grapplefest, Combat Jiu-Jitsu Worlds, ADCC, and many others.

With Kade’s professional grappling record of 17-3, and Tye’s 15-7, it didn’t take long for their talent to be noticed by ONE's CEO and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong.

Watch the Ruotolo brothers enjoy the process in the lead-up to ONE 157 below:

Now, the pressure is on for these two amazing athletes. It’s going to be an exciting grappling matchup with Shinya Ayoki and Garry Tonen on the card with them. It's also an incredible opportunity for the Ruotolo brothers to make their presence felt at ONE 157.