Superlek And Kade Ruotolo Named 2024 Fighters Of The Year In ONE Championship
Dozens of ONE Championship superstars made their mark on the combat sports world in 2024.
Whether they were winning 26 coveted pounds of gold, competing across multiple martial arts disciplines, or simply delivering electrifying performances on ONE’s massive global platform, plenty of individual athletes shined this year.
Two talented martial artists – “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Kade Ruotolo – stood out among the crowded field, each proving himself to be a bona fide multi-sport phenom in 2024.
Superlek Achieves Two-Sport Gold
After an impressive start to his ONE tenure that saw him claim the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title while racking up a near-flawless 12-1 promotional record, Superlek enjoyed a landmark year in 2024.
At ONE 165 in January, he defended his gold against Japanese megastar Takeru “The Natural Born Crusher” Segawa. That night, the former K-1 Champion pushed Superlek to his absolute limit, but “The Kicking Machine” displayed incredible grit – along with pulverizing leg kicks and crispy boxing combinations – to emerge victorious in what was undoubtedly one of the year’s most thrilling fights.
The Kiatmoo9 Gym representative returned to action and his Muay Thai roots in June at ONE Friday Fights 68 to battle former three-time Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Kongthoranee Sor Sommai.
The flyweight kickboxing king proved to be just as dangerous in the art of eight limbs, as he employed a well-rounded and ferociously paced attack to dominate his Thai compatriot over the course of three action-packed rounds and further entrench himself as the flyweight Muay Thai division’s top contender.
Finally, in September at ONE’s much-anticipated return to North American soil, Superlek stunned the Denver crowd in attendance at Ball Arena when he starched Jonathan “The General” Haggerty to claim the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
“The Kicking Machine” needed just 49 seconds to land a vicious, show-stopping elbow strike, hand the Brit his first defeat in over four years, and become a two-sport, two-division ONE World Champion.
Simply put, Superlek’s accomplishments across both kickboxing and Muay Thai put him safely atop the world of striking in 2024.
Kade Ruotolo Dominates Grappling, Makes MMA Debut
As the inaugural ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion and the youngest-ever ADCC World Champion, Kade Ruotolo came into 2024 having already conquered the world of grappling. Over the past twelve months, he not only strengthened his stranglehold on submission grappling but also took the world of MMA by storm.
The American superstar began his year with a successful defense of his gold at ONE 165 against top European competitor Tommy Langaker. The pair had met previously in 2023’s Submission Grappling Match of the Year, and this time around, Ruotolo employed his trademark aggression and creativity to score a more emphatic decision win.
He returned just three months later at ONE Fight Night 21 to square off with dangerous Brazilian grappler Francisco Lo. Ruotolo looked in peak form that night, taking it to his foe from the opening bell before locking in a unique arm-in choke from the back – dubbed the “Ruotolotine” – to secure the submission finish.
Next, at ONE 167 in June, fans around the world tuned in to see Ruotolo’s much-anticipated MMA debut when he took on Hawaiian slugger Blake Cooper.
To the surprise of many, the BJJ phenom showcased a calm and collected approach on the feet. After trading strikes for a few minutes, though, he went to his bread and butter, taking Cooper’s back and wrapping up a picture-perfect rear-naked choke late in the first round.
Ruotolo’s banner year didn’t end there. In November, at ONE 169, he returned to MMA to face Pakistani veteran Ahmed “Wolverine” Mujtaba. While many fans thought Mujtaba, with his years of high-level MMA experience in ONE, would give the grappler problems, they couldn’t have been more wrong.
Early in the first, Ruotolo landed a massive overhand right that sent “Wolverine” crashing to the canvas. From there, he unloaded a flurry of brutal ground strikes and then locked in his signature D’arce choke to move to 2-0 in MMA and put a cap on his incredible 2024.
