Kade Ruotolo lands a right hand on Hiroyuki Tetsuka at The Inner Circle
Kade Ruotolo’s latest mixed martial arts breakthrough has come at a cost.
ONE Championship’s lightweight submission grappling champion has been forced out of his scheduled title defence against Fabricio Andrey after suffering an injury in his second-round TKO win over Hiroyuki Tetsuka at The Inner Circle earlier this month.
Andrey will now face British promotional newcomer Owen Jones in a featherweight submission grappling bout at ONE Fight Night 44 on June 27 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
ONE confirmed Ruotolo sustained an injury in the Tetsuka fight, though the promotion did not specify the nature of it.
The 23-year-old American told the Bangkok Post backstage at Lumpinee Stadium that he had hurt his hand landing a strike, possibly with the knockout punch, and showed a bump below one of his knuckles.
He was taken to hospital, and his right hand and forearm were in a cast the following morning at the fighter hotel. Despite facing a quick turnaround, Ruotolo said he was hopeful the injury could be cleared within two weeks.
It has still been enough to shelve his return to grappling, where Andrey had been set to move up to challenge him for the lightweight belt.
Kade Ruotolo celebrates his second-round KO against Hiroyuki Tetsuka in Bangkok
Instead, the Brazilian will face Jones – a former 2023 ADCC European Trials winner – in a featherweight bout after his first shot at ONE gold was put on hold.
For Ruotolo, the injury was the only obvious downside to the most significant win of his young MMA career.
The jiu-jitsu phenom improved to 4-0 in his new sport with a first striking finish, dropping Tetsuka with a straight right hand in the second round before following up with an elbow on the ground to force the stoppage.
It earned Ruotolo a US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, and added further momentum to his push towards MMA title contention.
“Honestly, the plan was a submission,” Ruotolo told the Bangkok Post. “But if the knockout was to come, I would have been stoked. We kept saying that, so I’m so happy it happened.
“We’ve been doing that a bunch in the training room here and back home. We nicknamed it ‘The Xannie’, because we knew that one was a sleeper.
“I think that’s probably my best win in MMA.”
The aftermath was not quite as smooth.
Referee Olivier Coste steps in as Kade Ruotolo delivers ground and pound to end the fight
Ruotolo suffered what he described as an “adrenaline dump” after the fight and paused his backstage interview with the Bangkok Post to vomit, with twin brother Tye bringing a trash can into the room from the hallway.
He insisted on continuing, returned to finish the interview, but still looked pale as he reflected on the win.
By the following morning, Ruotolo appeared happier and healthier at the hotel – apart from the damaged right hand.
The timing is frustrating for Andrey, who had been preparing for the biggest opportunity of his ONE career.
“Hokage” is 3-0 in the promotion and had been set to challenge Ruotolo after wins over Ashley Williams, Eduardo Granzotto and Joao Mendes.
“When it comes to jiu-jitsu, someone my size, I view him as one of the toughest fights out there,” Ruotolo said of Andrey before the injury forced his withdrawal.
“That’s pretty much all we’ve looked for – to defend our titles against the best of the best. So I’m excited to face Fabricio.”
That fight will now have to wait.
But Ruotolo’s longer-term direction is becoming clearer.
Kade Ruotolo with his team, including twin brother Tye Ruotolo (right) at Lumpinee Stadium
While Kade has moved to 4-0 in MMA, with four finishes, Tye – ONE’s welterweight submission grappling champion – is 2-0 and has already submitted Christian Lee’s younger brother Adrian.
Christian Lee still holds ONE’s lightweight and welterweight MMA titles, the same two divisions where the Ruotolo brothers hold submission grappling belts.
Tye’s MMA wins have both come at lightweight, but the broader direction is obvious: the twins are moving steadily towards Lee’s territory.
“I think we’re getting there,” Kade said. “It’s up to Chatri and the ONE team.
“My brother and I are confident we can take on anyone. If the challenge presented itself, we would be ready for it.
“But I think at some point in the near future, for sure.”