Geniuses collide… An insight into what happened when Demetrious Johnson and Kade Ruotolo clashed on the mats

Ahead of his major submission grappling match against Mikey Musumeci at ONE 168, Kade Ruotolo has been soaking up the advice of Demetrious Johnson.

The masters of their crafts clashed on the mats during a fascinating training session in which they exchanged their wealth of martial arts knowledge.

Photo by Christopher Colon/Pximages/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesKade Ruotolo reveals what went down in his training session with Demetrious JohnsonIn his remarkable career, Kade Ruotolo has proven himself to be a legitimate jiu-jitsu genius. Since first picking up the sport with his brother Tye at the age of three, the gifted athlete has gone on an incredible journey, leading him to the biggest submission grappling match in history at ONE 168 on September 6.

In front of a packed house at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, Ruotolo will go head-to-head with Mikey Musumeci in a match-up that pits two of the most intelligent competitors jiu-jitsu has ever seen against one another in a battle in which both men will have to solve almost impossible puzzles.

With his focus on the historic occasion as well as growing his skills within the realm of mixed martial arts, after making a successful debut against Blake Cooper at ONE 167, the 21-year-old went to visit the legendary Demetrious Johnson.

‘Mighty Mouse’ has undeniably cemented his place as the best flyweight the sport of MMA has ever seen. With lightning kicks, a remarkable sporting IQ, and both ONE Championship and UFC titles on his mantelpiece, the icon is an inspiration to competitors around the globe.

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Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Ruotolo reveled in the opportunity to roll with the icon, taking up the opportunity to soak up all his words of wisdom.

In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, the Hawaii-born sportsman explained: “We exchanged more than words; we shared the gym for a couple of hours. We did everything from jiu-jitsu gi and no gi, to MMA.

“It was a really awesome day. I got to experience a lot of different techniques and talk about stories with him. So, it was super cool. He’s a legend. We did a super podcast. It was great to pick his brains about MMA stuff, too.”

Kade Ruotolo can’t wait for ONE 168 and the $1 million CJI BJJ tournamentWith Johnson having competed in so many spectacular MMA events, he will have told Ruotolo a thing or two about how to thrive when the big occasion rolls around. Thus, the BJJ black belt will undoubtedly have the MMA veteran’s words ringing in his ears when he walks out in front of his adoring fans for his collision with Musumeci.

He beamed: “I think it’s pretty safe to say, it’s the biggest submission grappling match of all time. I keep hearing it from other people. That’s pretty cool to hear. It’s super rad.”

However, before he goes toe-to-toe with his rival, he will first compete for $1 million at the CJI BJJ tournament on August 16. And with the sport so close to his heart, Ruotolo hopes to win the money to give back to the next generation.

He explained: “We have a gym out in Costa Rica; the next step would be to build a mini hotel for all the people who come and train. We can start running camps in paradise. Other than the million, what really gets me excited is the quality of the opposition.

“My brother and I are here to become the best in the world at jiu-jitsu. I think, by winning this, we’re proving that again. I haven’t seen a division as stacked as this one in my life. In order to be the best, you’ve got to fight the best.”

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