ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo has been dominant so far in his tenure with the world’s largest martial arts organization, but there is one man who looms as a major threat – Tommy Langaker.
The Norwegian grappling sensation is back in action at “ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II” on Prime Video this Friday, February 24, where he takes on four-time Sambo world champion Uali Kurzhev.
A win over Kurzhev – who challenged for the promotion’s inaugural lightweight submission grappling belt back in October – could very well thrust Langaker into a showdown with Ruotolo.
It would be an interesting proposition, too, because the pair have history.
At the ADCC World Championships after-party, Langaker called out Ruotolo by all accounts, leading to a back-and-forth rivalry via the media.
But it’s not simply an established rivalry that would make the Norwegian a real challenge.
The 29-year-old has long been regarded as the best grappler in Europe and boasts an incredible submission rate of 64 percent across his black belt career in the sport.
A black belt since 2017, Langaker is a former IBJJF European Champion who is revered in the grappling world for his ultra-aggressive style, in which he relentlessly hunts for submissions – an approach not dissimilar to that of 20-year-old phenom Ruotolo.
The Scandinavian has the ability to strike fear into his foes with swift back-taking maneuvers, a position from which the majority of his 77 career submissions have taken place.
Those skills were on display in his promotional debut at ONE 160 in August, where he brilliantly took the back of opponent Renato Canuto en route to a clear-cut unanimous decision win. Although Langaker didn’t get the submission that night, he was rewarded for his performance with a $50,000 bonus courtesy of ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Now, the Norwegian finds himself with a huge opportunity to go two-for-two under the ONE banner and stake his claim for a shot at the biggest prize in submission grappling today.
Langaker’s style is a dream match for that of Ruotolo, and a match between the pair could end the debate once and for all on who is the best lightweight submission grappler on the planet.
Perhaps that dream will become a reality if the Scandinavian wins on Friday night at ONE Fight Night 7.
