A World Title rematch is set to bolster ONE Championship’s return to Japan.

At ONE 165 on Sunday, January 28, ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo will defend his belt against a familiar foe in Tommy Langaker inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo. 

Kade Ruotolo is all set to defend his title against Tommy Langaker

Their showdown will be a rematch of their epic ONE Fight Night 11 clash last June, which was hailed as ONE’s best submission grappling fight of 2023.

Ruotolo has been dominant throughout his campaign in ONE, and he was confident enough to call out Langaker following an interaction at an event away from ONE. 

With or without the callout, the Norwegian had certainly earned his shot at gold. After picking up an impressive win over fellow BJJ black belt Renato Canuto in his promotional debut at ONE 160 in August 2022, he followed up by submitting former World Title challenger Uali Kurzhev at ONE Fight Night 7 in February 2023. 

Expectations were high when the pair finally met at ONE Fight Night 11 four months later, and they delivered in a big way. 

“It Doesn’t Really Go to My Head” – Despite Rising to Superstardom, Stamp Fairtex Still Strives to Improve Her Craft

Langaker latched a heel hook on Ruotolo early in the match, which put the American at a deficit for the first time in his ONE tenure. Not one to buckle under pressure, the Atos standout relentlessly pushed his offense and ultimately scored a catch of his own with an Estima Lock. 

The pair would then roll into a virtual stalemate as they defended each other’s attack until time ran out. In the end, though, Ruotolo’s aggressiveness helped him pick up the win on the judges’ scorecards, and he kept his coveted strap as a result.

Langaker will look to keep his winning momentum going

Langaker hasn’t seen action in ONE since the loss, but he made history elsewhere by becoming the first Norwegian gold medalist at the IBJJF No-Gi World Championships in December. He’ll look to carry that momentum into his rematch with Ruotolo. 

For his part, the defending World Champion will look to prove that his win was no fluke by reasserting his dominance over Langaker.

Read More:  Smilla Sundell Opens Up on Her Move to Fairtex Gym, Credits Stamp Fairtex As the Key Reason

Their World Title bout will join a marquee of fights scheduled for Japan, including Takeru Segawa’s promotional bow against Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon and American powerhouse Sage Northcutt’s clash with Japanese legend Shinya Aoki.