- George Chung
- Mar 20, 2024
- 2 min read
Francisco Lo will have a chance to make an impact in his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 21 on Friday, April 5.
The Brazilian will meet ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo in a 180-pound catchweight contest on the card. The Checkmat representative thinks their similarities will lead to a good show for the fans.
“I think we have very similar styles because I also aggressively look for submissions. He is also aggressive, doesn’t like to tie up the fight, and is always looking for the submission,” Lo told ONE.
“He likes to put on a show. I also like to put on a show, so I think it will be a great fight. I’m really looking forward to making this debut.”
Ruotolo has constantly attacked for submissions since arriving on the global stage, and it has led him to numerous victories. It is that aggression that has kept Ruotolo unbeaten and ahead of the field, Lo believes.
“What makes [Ruotolo] so dangerous are the attacks he makes, always looking for the submission. I think this makes him very dangerous and different from other jiu-jitsu athletes,” the Brazilian stated.
Lo will not focus purely on his opponent’s outstanding submission game. The 23-year-old wants his own skills to shine in U.S. primetime.
He is angling to be the first man to make Ruotolo tap in ONE.
“I believe in my game. I always look for the submission. I believe that my game will fit well with his game, and I believe I can submit him,” Lo offered.
The BJJ black belt is keeping his cards close to his chest so that the talented submission phenom will not have any more information heading into their catchweight clash.
But Lo is predicting that he will get the finish in his ONE debut to embark on his own journey to the top of the sport.
“I think this fight will end with a submission from me. I believe we have a very similar game, but I can already imagine submitting him,” Lo said.
“I’m not going to say what the submission will be, but I already have it in mind, and I’m very excited, just waiting for the day of the fight to arrive.”
ONE Fight Night 21 airs live and free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, April 5. The action gets underway at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
