It’s official…
Kade Ruotolo is gearing up to defend his ONE lightweight submission grappling world title – against none other than Mikey Musumeci at ONE 168: Denver!
Musumeci, the current ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion, will move up three weight classes to challenge Ruotolo for the lightweight title.
The official announcement came via ONE Championship‘s official social media post:
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Both Ruotolo and Musumeci are undefeated in ONE Championship and are widely recognized as top pound-for-pound competitors in the sport.
Ruotolo, who currently holds the title, has amassed an impressive 6-0 record in the organization and has successfully defended his belt three times since claiming it in October 2022.
His most recent victory came at ONE Fight Night 21 earlier this month, where he secured a submission win over Francisco Lo.
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Before facing Musumeci in Denver, Ruotolo will also make his much-anticipated MMA debut in June at ONE 167 – where he will take on Blake Cooper.
Musumeci, on the other hand, has been equally dominant in ONE Championship. The 27-year-old claimed the inaugural ONE flyweight submission grappling world title in September 2022, with a decision victory over Cleber Sousa.
Since then, he has successfully defended his gold three times.
In his most recent outing at ONE Fight Night 15 last October, Musumeci submitted Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki with his signature Aoki lock.
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