ONE Championship ONE Championship Reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo is set to continue his journey into the world of professional mixed martial arts – and he’ll be taking on a fellow undefeated competitor next.
On Thursday, February 20, the American superstar will square off with promotional newcomer Nicolas “El Paisa” Vigna of Argentina in a lightweight MMA tilt at ONE 171: Qatar inside the Lusail Sports Arena.
mbo303 slotAs the youngest-ever ADCC World Champion and the inaugural ONE lightweight submission grappling king, Ruotolo has already established himself as an all-time great in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at just 22 years old.
In 2024, he made his long-awaited MMA debut and immediately lived up to the high expectations with a pair of first-round stoppage victories.
“The final was really intense; the Chinese were breathing down our necks throughout the game and made it really difficult for us to create a clear goal scoring chance,” Harmanpreet said in a Hockey India release.
First at ONE 167, the Californian scored an opening-round submission finish against Hawaiian foe Blake Cooper.
Then at ONE 169, Ruotolo displayed shocking punching power in his battle with respected veteran Ahmed Mujtaba, dropping his foe with a massive overhand right before sinking in the fight-ending D’Arce choke.
Having displayed some impressive stand-up skills, the elite BJJ black belt has all the makings of a future MMA World Champion, but he’ll need to pass another test in Qatar.
Vigna boasts an unblemished 7-0 professional MMA record, finishing every man who’s stood across from him.
Notably, “El Paisa’s” record shows a mixture of both submissions and knockouts, reflecting his all-around skill set and dangerous finishing instincts.
The Argentine certainly knows that a victory over the highly touted Ruotolo would turn him into a global star overnight, so fans can expect to see him in peak condition for his ONE debut.
Ruotolo, meanwhile, is on a mission to become a two-sport ONE World Champion, and Vigna is the next man on his hit list.
Keep checking onefc.com for all the news about ONE 171: Qatar on February 20.
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