Kade Ruotolo aiming for decisive finish over old foe Tommy Langaker: “I want to submit him”

Kade Ruotolo is on a mission to prove a point when he runs it back with Tommy Langaker this weekend.

The rematch happens in the co-headliner of ONE 165. There, Ruotolo’s ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title will be on the line. This event airs live on pay-per-view from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, this Sunday, January 28.

The history between the two dates back to June 2023 when Ruotolo walked away with a hard-fought decision victory over Langaker to successfully defend his gold-plated strap.

Despite the triumph, the American phenom found himself dissatisfied with the outcome. He believes his performance fell short of his personal standard of excellence.

“I got the win. However, it wasn’t the way I wanted to win. You know, I would definitely want to get the finish. And that’s pretty much the reason why I’m accepting the rematch this time around because I want to submit him,” he said.

Now, as the two warriors prepare to face off once again, Ruotolo is determined to leave no doubt about who the better competitor truly is.

“I’m never one to make any excuses, but my last camp was just, you know, nowhere near where I wanted it to be as far as my preparation, due to some outside reasons,” he said.

“And this time around, I’ve been a lot more focused, I’ve been a lot hungrier, and it’s going to show.”

Kade Ruotolo heads into rematch more motivated than ever

While Kade Ruotolo may have emerged victorious in their previous clash, he approaches the second encounter against Tommy Langaker with an unparalleled level of motivation.

Far from complacent, Ruotolo views this fight as an opportunity to prove to himself and the world that he can definitively submit Langaker.

“The next time we fight, I’m going to submit him. I know it’s kind of a simple answer, maybe a bit boring. But to be honest, that’s the honest-to-God truth,” he said.

“And everyone that I fight that I don’t submit, I almost take it as just a poor performance, even if I was dominant. If I didn’t get the submission, then I’m not happy.”