Both of the Ruotolo brothers are known for being incredibly game opponents and have repeatedly taken opportunities to compete at the last minute, with Kade doing so just now against Roberto Jimenez. Jimenez lost his opponent for the upcoming Road to ADCC superfight event, Andrew Wiltse, just a matter of days before the event takes place and the young elite grappler stepped up on short notice to replace him.
This actually marks the second last-minute adjustment to the incredible fight-card, as Craig Jones recently broke his hand and was forced out of the headline match against Lucas ‘Hulk’ Barbosa. In the end, Jones was replaced by William Tackett who gets a huge opportunity to take on one of the best grapplers on the planet in the IBJJF World Champion and ADCC medalist Barbosa. Despite the Road to ADCC losing two of it’s competitors, the event really hasn’t lost any steam at all as both have been replaced by comparable talents and the full card remains as impressive as it was the day it was announced.
The match between Kade Ruotolo and Roberto Jimenez in particular is an intriguing one as both of these men represent the future of Jiu-Jitsu. At just 18 and 21 respectively, both of them will be solid fixtures on the professional grappling circuit for years to come. Considering that Jimenez already owns a victory over Kade and two over his brother Tye, we could also be witnessing the early days of a rivalry that is considered one of the best in the sport in the future. Only time will tell, and the Road to ADCC will give us a great indication.
The full Road To ADCC event will available to watch live on 17th July on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe and watch.
