Kade Ruotolo faces Ok Rae Yoon at ONE Fight Night 50
Published 2 November 2026 · Updated 2 November 2026 · GREATER News
Kade Ruotolo faces the most serious test of his MMA career. ONE's submission grappling world champion, unbeaten in four fights, meets Ok Rae Yoon, a former ONE lightweight MMA champion, on Friday 18 December at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, at the event that closes ONE's 2026 U.S. primetime calendar.
Key points
· Ruotolo has finished everyone: four MMA fights, three submissions and one knockout.
· Ok has never been submitted: his six losses are two knockouts and four decisions, according to Wikipedia.
· His brother fights first: his twin Tye fights Christian Lee for the lightweight title on 6 November.
Who is Kade Ruotolo?
At just 19, he became the youngest ADCC world champion in history in 2022. That same year he won ONE's inaugural lightweight submission grappling title, and in 2024 he took the $1,000,000 prize at the Craig Jones Invitational. He is now 23 and, counting both grappling and MMA, 10-0 in ONE.
His move to MMA has been quick: according to ONE, he has earned a $50,000 bonus in each of his four fights. The first three ended by submission in round one. The fourth, against Hiroyuki Tetsuka in May, matters more than it seems: he floored him with a right cross and finished with elbows from mount. It was his first knockout and proof that he no longer relies only on the ground.
Why Ok Rae Yoon is a step up
The 35-year-old South Korean took the title from Christian Lee in 2021, was named ONE's male MMA fighter of the year that season and has also beaten Eddie Alvarez. He has 23 professional fights, almost six times as many as Ruotolo.
His record says a lot about the fight he offers: 12 of his 17 wins are by decision. He is an opponent who endures and drags fights out, the opposite of what Ruotolo has experienced, as he has never gone past the second round.
That said, Ok comes in on two straight losses: to Alibeg Rasulov in 2024, for the interim title, and by split decision to Lucas Gabriel in June 2026. This is Ruotolo's opportunity and Ok's too: ONE presents the fight as a fast track towards the title for the winner.
The key: can he submit a man nobody has submitted?
The question is simple. If Ruotolo gets it to the ground early, he is on home turf. If Ok stays on his feet and drags it out, he forces him to prove something he has not needed yet: winning long rounds against a former champion.
There is one more detail. His twin Tye Ruotolo challenges Christian Lee for the lightweight title on 6 November at The Inner Circle 37. If Tye wins, both brothers would be in the same division, one with the belt and the other on his way towards it. What happens that day will change the context of this fight.
More than a year out with a knee injury
Ruotolo tore his ACL shortly after his win at ONE 171 in early 2025 and spent more than a year out of competition. He came back on 15 May 2026 with the win over Tetsuka.
In remarks reported by BJJ Eastern Europe, he says he even had to learn how to walk again, and that he first wanted to break recovery records until he realised what mattered was making the ligament as strong as possible. The mental side weighed just as much: not being an athlete for eight months made him ask himself "who am I?", and he found refuge fishing out at sea.
It is a useful reminder for any academy: after a long injury, the comeback is not only physical. And every case should be followed by a healthcare professional.
How to watch ONE Fight Night 50
In North America it streams on Prime Video. For Spain and the rest of Europe we have not yet found the platform, price or time. As it takes place in U.S. primetime, it may already be Saturday 19 in Europe and Bangkok when it starts, so check the schedule that week. We will update this article once it is confirmed.
FAQ
When does Kade Ruotolo fight?
On Friday 18 December 2026, against Ok Rae Yoon, at ONE Fight Night 50 in Bangkok.
What is Kade Ruotolo's MMA record?
Four wins and no losses: three by submission and one by knockout.
Who is Ok Rae Yoon?
A 35-year-old South Korean fighter and former ONE lightweight MMA champion. He took the title from Christian Lee in 2021 and has a 17-6 record.
What injury did Kade Ruotolo have?
A torn ACL that kept him out of competition for more than a year.
More competition: Polaris 40: Tonon vs McNally. For your academy: how to reduce dropouts at your academy and attendance tracking without paper.
Sources: ONE Championship (announcement) · ONE Championship (event) · Wikipedia (Kade Ruotolo) · Wikipedia (Ok Rae Yoon) · MMA Sucka (Lee-Tye Ruotolo) · MMA Sucka · MyKhel · Fight Record · BJJ Eastern Europe (May) · BJJ Eastern Europe (October) (accessed 2 November 2026). Cover photo: ONE Championship.