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The world of submission grappling always had a bit of tension between the many disciplines residing in it, and that’s why Tye Ruotolo feels compelled to always carry the Brazilian jiu-jitsu's reputation every time he gets.
Ruotolo will get that chance when he faces Dagestani grappler Magomed Abdulkadirov for the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world title at ONE Fight Night 16.
The world title match goes down on Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Ruotolo admitted that there’s always pressure to represent BJJ to its highest accord, especially when fighting a grappler from another discipline.
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Ruotolo said:
“Yeah, you know, I always feel a little bit of pressure from the community in the sense of where I, I just want to represent it to the best of my ability. You know, my brother and I, we've been doing jiu-jitsu since we were three years old in diapers and to be honest, from, like, some of the most high-level guys you can be with from that age.”
He added:
"We've been so utterly lucky, you know, and I'm just grateful for that. And I want to be able to showcase my jiu-jitsu to the level I'm supposed to, you know, and that's what it's all about for me. So obviously there's a little bit of pressure, but you know I love it. That's… I live for it, you know. And that's what I grew up with. That's what I chose to do. So yeah, I'm ready to perform.”
The 20-year-old is already seen as one of the most prominent fighters who will bring BJJ into the new age, and Ruotolo hasn’t disappointed in that lofty responsibility.
Ruotolo is the youngest IBJJF world champion in the competition’s history and is a perfect 4-0 in ONE Championship with three submissions under his belt.
He could extend that winning streak and claim his first ONE world title if he gets past Abdulkadirov on Friday.
ONE Fight Night 16 is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
