Three explosive battles set the stage for an unforgettable night at Lumpinee Stadium, as The Inner Circle delivered a thrilling appetizer ahead of the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title rematch between champion "Reug Reug" Oumar Kane and Anatoly "Sladkiy" Malykhin. Broadcast live exclusively on live.onefc.com, the May 15 card featured two hard-fought three-round wars and one jaw-dropping finish that had fans on their feet.
In the main event of the evening, reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo made a triumphant return to action after more than a year on the sidelines due to a torn ACL. The 23-year-old American phenom showed no signs of rust, extending his perfect MMA record to 4-0 with a stunning second-round knockout over former Pancrase Champion Hiroyuki "Japanese Beast" Tetsuka. What made this victory even more impressive? Ruotolo maintained his 100 percent finishing rate while notching his first-ever knockout in MMA.
The opening round saw both fighters testing their range, with Ruotolo applying pressure behind a sharp jab and looking to take the fight to the ground. Though Tetsuka initially stuffed the takedown attempts, the American grappling wizard eventually pulled guard and began hunting for submissions from various positions. The Japanese veteran, however, proved resilient and avoided danger.
The second round told a completely different story. Tetsuka came out aggressively, pressing forward with single punches and stinging leg kicks. But Ruotolo stayed composed, continuing to work behind his jab while setting up more takedown attempts. In a moment of pure brilliance, the 23-year-old countered Tetsuka's leg kick with a perfectly timed right cross that sent "Japanese Beast" crashing to the canvas. Ruotolo immediately pounced into full mount and unleashed a barrage of short elbows until referee Olivier Coste stepped in at the 2:02 mark of round two.
To cap off his spectacular performance, Ruotolo was awarded a well-deserved US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. The victory not only extended his perfect run but also served as a powerful statement that the grappling phenom is a legitimate threat in the all-encompassing sport of MMA.