‘Pass His Guard And Submit’ – Kade Ruotolo Questions If Mikey Musumeci Can Withstand His Pressure
Reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo thinks he has the tools to hand Mikey “Darth Rigatoni” Musumeci his first defeat in nearly three years.
On September 6, in the co-main event of ONE 168: Denver, Ruotolo will defend his gold against the current ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion in an epic matchup of BJJ megastars at Ball Arena.
The Americans both boast an undefeated record in ONE and a lengthy list of accomplishments outside of the organization. What’s more, both are ultra-aggressive submission hunters and proven finishers.
In one corner, Musumeci is perhaps the planet’s best guard player, equally capable of attacking traditional submissions from his closed guard as he is going after modern leg locks from the open guard.
Ruotolo, meanwhile, tends to do his best work from the top position, where he is an elite guard passer but is often willing to explore different positions or even risk losing a dominant position in favor of chasing the finish.
He told onefc.com that his well-rounded skill set could make the difference against “Darth Rigatoni”:
“I think one thing that favors me in the matchup is that I feel like I have a lot of different routes to victory, whether it’s going for the back or sticking to my passing.”
While both athletes are world-class technicians, Musumeci is often hailed as the BJJ mastermind and the best technical grappler the sport has ever seen.
Ruotolo, though, has been training at an elite level for practically his entire life and is confident he can match the New Jersey native technique-for-technique.
In fact, he says that his all-around approach to grappling arguably reflects a higher understanding of technique compared to Musumeci’s guard-heavy style:
“If I’m hand fighting someone and it’s not really going my way or whatever – if I’m trying to wrestle and I can’t – I’m gonna pull guard. I’m gonna get on their legs. I’m gonna do anything in my power to find their weakness and execute that window.
“I don’t think Mikey is quite prepared to go that route. I think he’ll try his same strategy for 10 minutes straight. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.
“So some people may view that as more technical. Like, sticking to his guns and sticking to his techniques. Or it’s his strategy, maybe. And some people may view it as my game is more technical as trying to explore every route to victory, either with passing, submitting from the guard, or from the top.”
If he’s able to slice through Musumeci’s vaunted guard and take him out of his game, Ruotolo questions whether his foe will have the mental fortitude to keep up.
After all, the Californian is revered for setting a relentless pace, often breaking his rivals and stealing their will to fight. On September 6, he’ll aim to do just that against Musumeci:
“I think Mikey is a little bit mental in a sense where if I do get past his guard, I don’t think he’s mentally sharp enough to replace [guard], push through, and then create attacks.
“But I could be completely wrong, too. You know, it’s definitely very possible, and I think it also depends on how much energy he still has at that moment when I do pass.”
Ruotolo is happy to attack from any and all positions if it could lead to the submission finish and ensure he leaves Denver with his World Title.
But make no mistake – he plans to follow the same tactics that made him the youngest-ever ADCC World Champion and earned him the lightweight submission grappling belt in ONE Championship.
The 21-year-old said:
“There’s no secret at this point in time. I think everybody already knows what my brother (Tye Ruotolo) and I wanna do – takedown, pass and submit. I feel like a broken record. I hate to be boring or whatever, but that really is always our strategy. That’s always our game plan. It’s no secret. So you know the drill.
“We’re gonna get him down. We’re gonna pass his guard and submit. And, if the submission comes in between, perfect.”
Ruotolo: ‘This Is One Of The Biggest Fights In Jiu-Jitsu History’
Kade Ruotolo and Mikey Musumeci are no strangers to the bright lights of high-profile matches, but their showdown at ONE’s blockbuster return to the United States will kick it up a notch.
Indeed, the World Champion versus World Champion contest is one of the most significant grappling matches ever.
Humble to his core, Ruotolo admits that he didn’t initially realize the magnitude of the battle:
“People were calling it one of the biggest super-fights in jiu-jitsu history. I was kinda surprised to hear that, but I was like, ‘Wow.’ That’s really cool to hear.
“And hearing that, I was feeling a sense of responsibility. I’m like, ‘Dude, this is one of the biggest fights in jiu-jitsu history.’ It’s just pretty crazy.”
Beyond the fame and acclaim that would come with a successful World Title defense at ONE 168, Ruotolo is primarily motivated to face the 28-year-old Musumeci for one simple reason – it’s an opportunity to grapple with an all-time great.
He added:
“Many people consider [Musumeci] a GOAT of jiu-jitsu, one of the greatest. He’s definitely a legend of the sport. So any time you get to share the mat with a legend, it’s a great thing. It’s an awesome experience.
“I remember watching him at black belt finals as a child with my brother. And now we’re having a match. So, it’s pretty crazy. That’s the most exciting part about this – being able to share the mat.”
