5 Things To Know About The Ruotolo Brothers Before Their ONE Debuts
Twin brothers Kade Ruotolo and Tye Ruotolo are set to make their ONE Championship debuts in a pair of high-profile submission grappling encounters on Friday, 20 May.
Kade will face Japanese legend Shinya Aoki before Tye does battle with American star Garry Tonon on the main card of ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot – and both bouts are guaranteed to bring fast-paced action at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
These matchups are a chance for the Ruotolos to show why they’re two of the hottest young talents in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Before they step into the Circle for the first time, find out more about the highly touted 19-year-old phenoms.
#1 Born In Hawaii, Raised In California
Tye and Kade were born in Maui, Hawaii, but moved to California when they were just 6 months old.
Their father was an avid grappler, and he enrolled his sons in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes at the age of 3.
Within weeks, the twins were already on the competition circuit, and now, their younger sister, Nya, is following in their footsteps.
#2 They Were Child Prodigies
The Ruotolo brothers became established stars in the BJJ world before they even reached their teen years.
Tye and Kade began winning national and international tournaments at an early age, and their combination of skills and success earned them endorsement deals with some of the sport’s biggest brands.
In 2013, they moved to train at the famous AOJ academy alongside the World Champion Mendes brothers, before switching to Atos in 2017 to learn from legendary grappler Andre Galvao.
#3 They Earned Their Black Belts At 18
In a rarely seen move, Galvao promoted the talented young brothers to black belts in BJJ last December when they were just 18 years old.
The IBJJF – BJJ’s largest and most prominent federation – places a minimum age of 19 on a practitioner who receives their black belt. However, the legendary coach couldn’t hold the Ruotolos back after they took first and second place in the brown belt division at the 2021 IBJJF World Championships.
Tye and Kade have been competing against the best grapplers on the planet in no-gi events since their mid-teens. Now, they can do the same in gi competitions.
#4 Their Impressive Resumes Are Just Getting Started
The Ruotolo brothers have amassed a huge amount of accolades in submission grappling and BJJ.
Kade’s most prominent achievements include the WNO, Grapplefest, and EBI Combat Jiu-Jitsu Titles, while Tye also won a WNO Title and became the youngest person ever to reach an ADCC semifinal (16 years, 9 months) in 2019.
Still just 19 years old, they’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible to achieve in the sport, and they’ve already earned their place among the world’s submission grappling elite.
#5 They Love Extreme Sports Away From The Mats
Outside of martial arts, the brothers live a truly Californian lifestyle.
When they’re not on the BJJ mats, you’ll find them doing other adrenaline-inducing sports, such as skateboarding or surfing.
