After his successful MMA debut, Kade Ruotolo has now set his sights on ONE 168: Denver. The reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion will defend his belt against Mikey Musumeci, the current ONE flyweight submission grappling king, when they clash this September at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

Earlier this month at ONE 167, Ruotolo showcased his skills beyond the grappling mats with a dominant win against Blake Cooper in a lightweight MMA bout. The win further which motivated him to continue and elevate his game in MMA, as he revealed in a recent interview.

Kade Ruotolo boldly claims about his future in MMA

Kade Ruotolo’s fight against Blake Cooper was a showcase of his well-rounded skill set. He seamlessly blended striking and grappling to dominate the fight and secure a convincing victory. This win extends his undefeated record in ONE Championship to a perfect 7-0, with 1 win in MMA and 6 in submission grappling.

On the MMA Hour, grappling phenom, Kade Ruotolo sat down with the popular host Ariel Helwani. When the conversation turned to his MMA future, Ruotolo didn’t hesitate as he claimed, “Oh, of course, absolutely. I want to become the best, you know? I want to become the champion.” He further declared, “Everything I do, I have this delusion where I want to become the best at it, you know? So, that’s always the goal.”

Kade Ruotolo’s fiery determination is clear: this is just the first chapter for him. But for now, his sights are firmly set on ONE 168: Denver and his upcoming clash with the flyweight grappling submission king, Mikey Musumeci. Ruotolo isn’t taking Musumeci lightly, calling him a pound-for-pound great.

Ruotolo recognizes Mikey Musumeci’s valor

Mikey Musumeci isn’t afraid to step outside his comfort zone to prepare for the toughest challenges. Primarily a flyweight BJJ competitor, he bumped up to bantamweight to face Gabriel Sousa and is now set to move to lightweight to take on the current champion, Kade Ruotolo. This willingness to fight bigger men truly showcases his dedication to the sport.

On a recent podcast with Demetrious Johnson, Kade Ruotolo showered Mikey Musumeci with respectful praise while explaining his own motivation for the fight. “Again, it’s just another one to put on the record,” Ruotolo said while adding, “ Mikey, a lot of people consider him pound-for-pound one of the greatest. He’s had a lot of amazing wins over a lot of amazing people.”

Ruotolo wasn’t done there. He continued to express his excitement about the matchup. There’s no question that both Kade Ruotolo and Mikey Musumeci are at the pinnacle of their sport. Now, the big question remains: can Musumeci dethrone Ruotolo and claim the ONE lightweight grappling submission title, or will Ruotolo successfully defend his championship? Drop your predictions in the comments below.