ONE Championship has brought the sport of submission grappling to the global stage, and its stable of U.S. athletes are leading the charge.
The promotion now has two 26-pound gold submission grappling world title belts up for grabs – both held by Americans, coincidentally – and the various weight classes are building at a rapid pace.
Submission grappling was first introduced to the ONE fan base in 2017, as Garry Tonon and Shinya Aoki battled it out at “ONE: Dynasty of Heroes.”
However, it wasn’t until 2022 that the sport became a staple of the promotion’s combat sports offerings. Since its reintroduction at ONE X in March of that year, the popularity of the once-niche sport has reached a whole new level.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu has proven to be the dominant grappling style thus far, led by a swathe of American standouts. Here are the U.S. stars who are at the forefront of submission grappling’s rise.
Mikey Musumeci
Memorable characters are a critical element when introducing new sports to the masses, and no grappler is quite as unique as ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci.
“Darth Rigatoni” has won many fans worldwide with his unassuming demeanor, and his extraordinary training regime has also raised eyebrows. The four-time IBJJF world champion is known to train up to an incredible 12 hours per day while fasting throughout, before consuming a diet of pizza, pasta and ice cream by night.
It’s his skills, however, that have launched Musumeci to superstardom. The 26-year-old burst into ONE with a clinical submission win over Japan’s Masakazu Imanari in April 2022, and then he became the promotion’s first submission grappling king with a decision win over rival Cleber Sousa at ONE Fight Night 2 last October.
Musumeci’s sister, Tammi, will join her brother in the organization soon too, as she takes on fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Bianca Basilio at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24.
Kade Ruotolo
ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo is one of the most recognizable figures in the sport today.
The 20-year-old prodigy became ONE’s second submission grappling titleholder when he quickly made four-time sambo world champion Uali Kurzhev tap out at ONE Fight Night 3 in October.
Ruotolo’s aggressive submission-hunting game represents a modern style of grappling that has captivated fans in recent times. That fan-friendly approach has been critical in endearing the combat style to the broader audience.
Tye Ruotolo
Tye Ruotolo – Kade’s twin brother – brings a similarly energetic style of grappling to the ONE circle. That much was evident in both of his ONE appearances so far.
This Ruotolo brother dispatched the aforementioned Tonon in his debut at ONE 157 last May, and he followed that up by submitting former ONE featherweight world champion Marat Gafurov with a slick armbar at ONE Fight Night 5 in December.
On May 5, Ruotolo is set to showcase his skills once again at the promotion’s landmark U.S. debut – “ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III” – when he takes on ONE middleweight world champion Reinier de Ridder.
Danielle Kelly
Atomweight grappler Danielle Kelly has also enjoyed a meteoric rise since her ONE debut in March 2022.
After battling to a draw with Mei Yamaguchi, the 27-year-old displayed her attacking brand of grappling with a lightning-quick submission over former sambo world champion Mariia Molchanova at ONE Fight Night 4.
Kelly was back in action last month, taking a decision victory over physically imposing judo standout Ayaka Miura at ONE Fight Night 7.
The Philadelphia native has been vocal about her wish to challenge for an inaugurated ONE atomweight submission grappling world championship, and the organization may well grant it should she continue to shine inside the ONE circle.
