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Reigning welterweight submission grappling king Tye Ruotolo is currently 5-0 in ONE Championship, and Izaak Michell is hellbent on giving him his first loss.
ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs Nicolas on Prime Video will commence in a few hours inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The co-main event will feature Ruotolo's first-ever world title defense of the 26 pounds of gold he won over Magomed Abdulkadirov at ONE Fight Night 16 last year.
Given the 21-year-old prodigy's unparalleled BJJ brilliance, not many are giving Michell much of a chance. However, the Australian grappler knows what he's all about and is ready to showcase it to a global audience.
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The 25-year-old Adelaide native told Nic Atkin of Sportskeeda MMA during his pre-event interview:
"I believe in myself. I believe I'm going to get the victory on Friday night. As far as the toughest opponent [for Tye], I believe I am so. We're both ADCC vets. My style against his style will collide. So we'll see. I'm feeling confident coming into this match."
Izaak Michell's confidence is well warranted, as he became one of the fastest-rising grapplers in the BJJ scene in recent years.
Watch Izaak Michell's full interview:
Izaak Michell eager to display his talents on the grandest stage
In a separate interview with CountFilms, Michell explained how excited he is to introduce himself to the ONE audience.
While the BJJ community is already familiar with his handiwork, he can't wait to show it to the rest of the world, against a formidable champion like Tye Ruotolo, no less. He said:
"A lot of people put me as a heavy underdog right now, but I think world-class competitors who I've trained with know how good I am. People just haven't seen what I can do yet. So hopefully that comes out, God willing, and hope for the best."
Don't miss this epic 10-minute grappling war at ONE Fight Night 21, which will air live on US Primetime on April 5, free for Prime Video subscribers in North America.
