Kade Ruotolo, without a doubt, had one of the greatest years of his career and closed the 2024 season as Fighter of the Year by One Championship, further solidifying the remarkable achievements of André Galvão’s black belt.
The Atos BJJ phenomenon not only shined on the mats, where he won several no-gi matches and even made his black belt gi debut in a superfight at The Crown against Natan Chueng. Undefeated throughout the year, Kade also achieved an unprecedented feat: he became the first champion in the history of the CJI (Craig Jones Invitational), an event held last August, and took home the unprecedented prize of 1 million dollars.
In the world of mixed martial arts, the story was no different. Kade made his MMA debut in June 2024, facing Blake Cooper, who had come off two consecutive victories. Ruotolo won the fight by submission in the first round, impressing everyone and taking home the $50,000 bonus. In his second fight, against Ahmed Mujitaba, he was even more dominant, finishing the fight in just 1 minute.
Kade had already made history in 2022 when he became the youngest athlete in the history of the sport to win the ADCC, and every year, he continues to prove himself as a global-level phenomenon.
