Grappling superstar Kade Ruotolo has revealed he is currently dealing with bilateral hip labrum tears, which forced him to withdraw from a previously scheduled grappling match against Mikey Musumeci. Despite this setback, Ruotolo is forging ahead with his MMA career and is preparing for his second professional outing.
In a recent interview, Ruotolo admitted his body is still “pretty banged up” but emphasized his desire to gain more MMA experience before taking time off to recover. He plans to compete in this upcoming fight and then rest for the remainder of the year to allow his body to heal.
“It’s always funny because I’ve talked to two people who’ve had the same injury, and I got two completely different types of advice—complete opposites. One person goes, ‘No, get the surgery now, because if you don’t, it’s going to tear all the way through.’ And then someone told me, ‘No, don’t do surgery, do, like, whatever stem cells, and just let it heal naturally, because with surgery, you’re out for a year,’ right? So, um, you know, it’s kind of torn in between. I’ve got two torn labrums at the moment, each hip, so I’ve just got to figure that out. Right now, I’m kind of leaning more towards just… I don’t want to take a year off; that’s not really an option for me, right? So, more so in the, uh, just trying to recover it. And, uh, that’s why this is going to be my last one for this year.”
Regarding his injury, Ruotolo disclosed he has received conflicting advice about treatment options. Some have recommended immediate surgery, while others have suggested natural healing methods like stem cell therapy. The grappling champion is leaning towards avoiding surgery, as he doesn’t want to be sidelined for an entire year.
Despite the injury concerns, Ruotolo remains committed to his goal of becoming “one of the best martial artists of all time.” He expressed his intention to balance his grappling career with his MMA aspirations, aiming to defend his One Championship grappling title while also pursuing success in MMA.
Looking ahead to 2025, Ruotolo hopes to compete in at least three MMA fights while still defending his jiu-jitsu belt. He also assured fans that a match against Mikey Musumeci will happen in the future, acknowledging the disappointment when their previous bout was canceled.
As Ruotolo prepares for November 8th at One Championship 169 in Bangkok, he promises fans an exciting performance, predicting a finish within the first two rounds.
