“He’s a very tough opponent” - Tye Ruotolo ready to face Izaak Michell’s wrestling-heavy style in first world title defense

Tye Ruotolo is ready to begin his rule as the ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion, and his first order of business is to defend the throne against a fighter he always wished to fight against.

The American phenom will put his gold on the line against Izaak Michell in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 21 this Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Ahead of his Bangkok showdown with Michell, Ruotolo told ONE Championship what he expects the Australian standout would bring to their world title clash.

Tye Ruotolo said:

"A lot of people are trying to say he has the best wrestling in jiu-jitsu. I just think he's a very tough opponent."

Michell and Ruotolo are products of the new school of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, where they would initiate grappling exchanges instead of pulling guard to start their offense.

Ruotolo, especially, practically avoids pulling guard in his matchups and would rather score a takedown if he gets the chance.

That aggressive style made the 21-year-old one of Brazilian jiu-jitsu's most feared grapplers, and Ruotolo cemented that reputation with a resume littered with world titles.

Ruotolo captured world titles in the 2021 Who's Number One tournament and the 2022 IBJJF World Championships. His biggest win, however, came in November 2023 when he beat Magomed Abdulkadirov for the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world title.

ONE Fight Night 21 will mark Ruotolo's first defense of his throne and the entire card is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

---

Tye Ruotolo admits Izaak Michell's grappling style intrigues him

Tye Ruotolo and Izaak Michell share several similarities, but the most glaring one could be their unbridled aggression on offense.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Ruotolo admitted Michell's style is intriguing since the Australian standout employs a similar approach to what he uses in his matches.

Ruotolo said:

"He is, for sure. His style of jiu-jitsu intrigues me. Number one, I know he likes to fight hard and he's very aggressive, you know, which is good because I like when people are aggressive towards me. It definitely brings a bigger and better beast out of me."

Watch Ruotolo's entire interview below: