Grappling megastar Tye Ruotolo reveals he turned to gaming while rehabilitating his injured knee: “I was on Fortnite”

If you're a fan of the cult classic battle royale FPS game Fortnite, chances are, you may have run into reigning and undisputed ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo.

Ruotolo had been out of commission for the past several months due to a debilitating injury that has kept him on the sidelines. And the 22-year-old Atos Jiu-jitsu superstar says he turned to Fortnite to pass the time.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Ruotolo talked about how he spent his free time while recovering from injury.

The American grappler said:

"It sucks, you know, being couch-locked. It’s like there’s nothing to do. I was on Fortnite, just gaming and stuff. I had to get out of the house, figure it out, and then start walking. Get back to trusting my knee again."

Ruotolo was last seen in action at ONE Fight Night 23 in July 2024, where he successfully defended his welterweight gold with a unanimous decision win over South Africa's Jozef Chen.

Now, the 22-year-old is finally fully healed and ready to make his way back to the world's largest martial arts organization.

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Tye Ruotolo set to defend belt against tough Dante Leon at ONE Fight Night 31 on Prime Video

Tye Ruotolo is scheduled to face his toughest opponent yet in ONE Championship when he takes on Canadian grappling ace Dante Leon for the ONE welterweight submission grappling world title.

The two lock horns in the co-main event at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video, which is set to broadcast live in U.S. primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, May 2.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Tye Ruotolo's next fight.