Cady Rotolo He’s been on a history-making march since 2022, but he’s a fast-moving Norwegian Tommy Langacker He’s looking to put an end to it at ONE Fight Night 11. The two wrestlers will meet inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Friday, June 9. ONE ChampionshipUniversal rules set, Langacker predicts an all-out race to the finish.
Langaker in Ruotolo Fight: “…it will be tense…”
“I think it will be nervous at first. I think it will be a kind of feeling of fear, but as soon as someone reacts, it will be a very high pace. And I think it will be a very beautiful jujitsu match,” ONE said Langacker.
Defeating Ruotolo is something that there is no current blueprint for in the competition. The Southern California native cruised through the ADCC Championships to become the youngest-ever world champion, then held his record-breaking top form while winning the ONE Lightweight Pro Wrestling World Championship. However, Langacker is not going through his current string of success by stages.
Langacker is confident in his own abilities. The talented 29-year-old is looking for areas where he has an edge over his 20-year-old opponent. This is where scrambling will become vital to its success.
“I think my advantages are that I thrive on those scrambles. I like when scrambles come up, and I think I have a different understanding of how scrambles and leg puts work, since I’ve been doing crab rides for so long. I enjoy working the hooks and using these different positions, the Norwegian said. And I feel that would be my greatest strength.”
But Langacker wouldn’t allow himself to have tunnel vision into the ring. While he will be aggressive, he will only take what Ruotolo gives him. From there, Langacker would seek the end.
“I’ll fight in any situation. I’ll take what I’ve got. I’ll see how he reacts, and then I’ll go from there. If he gives me his leg, I’ll take his leg. If he gives me his back, I’ll take him back,” Langacker said.
Although Lancaster is aiming for gold, he is grateful for the opportunity he has had at the event. It’s another highlight of the submission wrestling world, and the Norwegian is elated at how the sport has grown with ONE’s support. It makes his bid to become the lightweight world champion and the face of the sport all the more significant.
“One is to change it by putting us on a very professional platform with other martial arts. They show that they trust us and they trust their athletes. They pay us well and give us bonuses if we do entertaining fights. It gives us a good show. It changes the landscape of what it is,” Langacker said. Professional Jiu Jitsu Athlete.
ONE Fight Night 11 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, June 9th. The event starts at 8pm EST / 5pm PT. The event is free to all Amazon Prime members in the United States and Canada.