"The harder I get hit, the more I want it" - Kade Ruotolo says his scrappy nature is perfect for mixed martial arts

Reigning and undisputed ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is getting ready to make his highly anticipated professional mixed martial arts debut, which is coming up in less than two months' time.

The 21-year-old BJJ phenom can't wait to scrap. He and his brother Tye, the ONE welterweight submission grappling king, have been talking about making the jump to MMA since they joined ONE Championship in May 2022. Now, it's finally happening.

Ruotolo believes he will be successful in this endeavor, if only for the fact that he has always loved getting hit. It riles him up.

Speaking on a recent guest appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast, Ruotolo talked about his upcoming MMA debut and how he plans on dealing with getting tagged in the face.

The 21-year-old American star said:

"I think that's why this transition to MMA is so much easier for us than a lot of jiu-jitsu guys. We've never really been scared to get hit. I like getting hit. The harder I get hit, the more I want it."

Needless to say, Ruotolo will definitely experience getting socked in the face soon as he makes his MMA transition in June.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on Kade Ruotolo's next fight.

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Kade Ruotolo set to make professional MMA debut against Blake Cooper at ONE 167

21-year-old BJJ savant Kade Ruotolo will temporarily leave the grappling arena to make his highly anticipated professional mixed martial arts debut.

Ruotolo is set to face fellow American Blake Cooper at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video in a three-round lightweight MMA contest.

The event will be broadcast live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, May 3rd.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.