ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo competed in his first-ever MMA bout this past weekend, and he can’t get enough of the sport. Last Friday, June 7, the American grappling phenom came out on top against compatriot Blake Cooper in a lightweight battle at ONE 167.

Ruotolo showcased his never-before-seen striking game inside the Circle before cinching in a rear-naked choke submission to get the win before the end of the first round.

Kade Ruotolo eager for more MMA action

In a post-fight interview, the California native admitted that he was raring to go again in MMA if he gets the chance, despite the nerves he suffered in the leadup to his debut.

“To be honest, I’m so urgent to get right back to the MMA realm, to be honest with you. I had so much fun out there tonight; I feel like if I was to go out and do it again, I honestly wanted to go back out and do it again,” Ruotolo said.

He further added, “I feel like yourself is your biggest critic most of the time. So, I’ve seen a lot of mistakes or just feeling like I did a lot of mistakes on the feet. But at the same time, I just got that nervous energy, that nervous debut, and I can’t wait to go show people what I can do on the feet as well.”

The lightweight submission grappling king certainly proved that he could be a legitimate threat in the lightweight MMA division, and he may reach top-five status sooner rather than later if he continues his winning ways.

Ruotolo eyes MMA return after ONE championship title defense

However, his next ONE Championship engagement has been set for some time now. Ruotolo will return to his bread-and-butter at ONE 168: Denver this September to defend his divisional crown against flyweight submission grappling titleholder Mikey Musumeci.

Both ground-game experts were in action last Friday and dominated their respective opponents, ensuring they’ll both be carrying unbeaten slates into their meeting later this year.

If Ruotolo has his way, though, he will be back competing in MMA after his World Title defense against ‘Darth Rigatoni.’ “Personally, I want to do another MMA match. But whatever challenge is coming next, you know I’m ready,” he said.