ONE Championship has continued to spotlight submission grappling on its fight cards, and ONE Fight Night 11 will see Tommy Langaker challenge Kade Ruotolo for the ONE lightweight submission grappling championship.
While all eyes are on the 20-year-old prodigy to decisively defend his belt, the Norwegian star does not see it as a walk in the park for either one–instead viewing it as a case of who among them breaks composure first.
“I think it’s going to be tense in the beginning. I think it’s going to be a little bit of feeling out, but immediately as somebody reacts, it’s going to be a very high pace. And I think it’s going to be a very beautiful jiu-jitsu match,” Langaker explained.
Langaker, 29, has proven to be a monstrous performer since debuting in August 2022 against Renato Canuto at ONE 160 and went on to win the bout via unanimous decision thanks to his constant aggression, which led to his matchup with Russia’s Uali Kurzhev this past February at ONE Fight Night 7.
His high-octane pace, plus having 150 matches worth of experience, led to him securing a gnarly-looking heel hook for the victory after a couple of scrambles.
Now, he finds himself one win away from becoming champion.
“I think my advantages are that I thrive in those scrambles. I love when the scramble comes, and I think I have a different understanding of how the scramble and the leg pummel work, as I’ve been doing crab rides for so long. I enjoy working hooks and utilizing these different positions, and I feel that’s going to be my biggest strength,” Langaker pointed out.
Despite his age, Ruotolo is no joke though after he outworked Japanese combat sports legend Shinya Aoki in his debut in May 2022 before following it up with a submission victory of his own over Kurzhev in October.
With the promotion recognizing Ruotolo’s exciting blend of skill, aggression and future potential, he took on Matheus Gabriel in December at ONE Fight Night 5 for the inaugural lightweight submission grappling title, which he won by unanimous decision.
Langaker knows how dangerous Ruotolo is when given the smallest bit of an opening to attack.
While he understands the dangers of mixing it up with the young phenom, the Norwegian trusts his experience the most.
“I’ll fight in any position. I’ll take what I have. I’ll see how he reacts, and then I go from there. If he gives me his leg, I’ll take his leg. If he gives me his back, I’ll take the back,” he declared.
Their fight will take place in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 11, whereas the show’s headliner will feature Regian Eersel defending his ONE lightweight Muay Thai belt against Dmitry Menshikov.
ONE Fight Night 11 takes place on Saturday, June 10 (Friday, June 9 in the U.S.) at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
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