ONE Championship star Kade Ruotolo made history at the 2022 ADCC World Championships by becoming the youngest champion in ADCC history at 19.
The talented young star knocked Kyra Gracie and Rafael Mendes off the record books. Mendes was 20 years old when he first grabbed gold at the tournament, and Gracie had won her gold a day shy of her 20th birthday. Ironically, both athletes were inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame during the weekend, which is perhaps an omen for Ruotolo’s future.
However, how Ruotolo snagged the gold was even more impressive than the record itself. The ONE submission grappler tapped all four of his opponents en route to the medal. His journey began with an armbar finish over Lachlan Giles to advance to the quarterfinals against Roberto Jimenez, who he finished with a heel hook.
In the semifinal, Ruotolo matched up with PJ Barch. It was a well-contested battle with plenty of excitement, but a late scramble gave Ruotolo the edge he needed to get the submission. Much like his round of 16 matchup, Ruotolo secured an armbar to punch his ticket to the final.
History was ensured at that moment as Mica Galvao was searching for the same spot in the history book. The winner of the final would take the honor, and on this night, it was set to be Ruotolo as the two battled fiercely throughout the match. Deep in the contest, the Southern California native dropped back for a heel hook and got the tap.
As the twin brothers rewrite submission grappling, Kade’s 100% finishing rate stunned the grappling world as he wrote his name in the history books in a most impressive fashion. As ONE begins to offer Submission Grappling World Championships, the brothers Ruotolo will be sure to garner more attention on a global platform in the near future.