Tye Ruotolo set on proving he and Kade are “best no-gi jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world” by beating Izaak Michell

Having someone that you can trust and always keep you grounded is of utmost importance in the glitzy, yet gritty, world of combat sports. For Kade Ruotolo, he has his twin brother along for the ride.

Kade and Tye are currently reigning ONE submission grappling world champions in their own divisions, with them keeping the lightweight and welterweight classes on lock.

Fans last saw Kade at ONE 165 this past weekend. He defended his ONE lightweight submission grappling world championship against Tommy Langaker in a thrilling rematch of their June 2023 classic, when Ruotolo was also victorious.

2024 will not only be Kade’s year as Tye is next up to fight inside the ONE circle, with him taking on Izaak Michell at ONE 166 on March 1 inside the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

In an Instagram update of the Ruotolo brothers’ adventures, Tye outlined his intentions to do the same against Michell and retain the ONE welterweight submission grappling world title at ONE 166:

“Next up I got a match in the next few weeks against Izaak Michell and I’m chomping at the bit to defend my title. Time to prove why my brother and I are the best no gi jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world."

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Ruotolo bros headed to MMA?

With the Ruotolo twins reaching unimaginable heights at age 21, time is very much on their side for what they want to do next. If they stay true to their original plans, they could very well be in MMA by the end of this year.

It will be interesting to see how that plays out since MMA is a much more intricate combat sport, with the striking aspect also being a major factor.

Check your local listings or ONE Championship’s website on how to watch ONE 166 from your location.