Kade Ruotolo

Kade Ruotolo was labeled a prodigy from a young age, and he has delivered on that promise by becoming one of his generation’s greatest submission grappling competitors.

Kade and his twin brother Tye Ruotolo started learning the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at three years old when their father took them to their first class. The young brothers fell in love with the sport immediately, and their aptitude was also evident right away.

Kade wasn’t even in his teenage years when he and his twin brother began tearing up the BJJ scene. In 2013, they moved to train with the famed Mendes brothers at AOJ Academy to pursue grappling at an elite level. In 2017, the twins switched to Atos and have been under the tutelage of the legendary Andre Galvao ever since.

It didn’t take long for the Ruotolo twins to reach the highest levels of BJJ and submission grappling. Kade won the IBJJF World Championships at brown belt in December 2021, and Galvao awarded the 18-year-old twins their black belts just a few days later.

A few months after receiving their black belts, the Ruotolo twins made their way to ONE Championship, and Kade’s debut performance proved that he would be a future star in the promotion.

Kade secured a decision win over Japanese legend Shinya Aoki at ONE 157 in May 2022. The match was seen as a clash of generations, and the 19-year-old American star showed “Tobikan Judan” that his style of BJJ is one rooted in revolutionary techniques.

After his victory over Aoki, Kade competed in the 2022 ADCC World Championship and became the youngest World Champion in the competition’s history. In the final, Kade took on Mica Galvao and submitted the Brazilian with a heel hook to capture gold in the -77-kilogram division of the prestigious tournament.

Fresh from his ADCC triumph, Kade is back at ONE Championship and once again on the cusp of history. The grappling phenom will take on Russia’s Uali Kurzhev for the inaugural ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Championship at ONE on Prime Video 3: Lineker vs. Andrade.