“I can’t wait” - Tye Ruotolo raring for MMA switch, suggests his striking is ‘a little bit better’ than Kade’s

Tye Ruotolo is excited about the opportunity to show off his striking skills—especially because he thinks they're better than his brothers.

Three months removed from his impressive submission victory over Aussie standout Izaak Michell in April, Ruotolo returned to the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok for a showdown with 19-year-old debutant Jozef Chen at ONE Fight Night 23.

Though he didn't get the finish this time out, Ruotolo dominated the action, earning a unanimous decision victory and moving himself to a perfect 7-0 under the ONE Championship banner.

While Ruotolo is aiming to defend his ONE welterweight submission grappling world title before 2024 comes to an end, he's also chomping at the bit to follow in the footsteps of his twin brother, Kade Ruotolo, and make his mixed martial arts debut.

Talking about his inevitable move to MMA, Ruotolo suggested that his striking is a bit more refined than his brothers.

"I think it's a little bit better than Kade's," he said during his ONE Fight Night 23 post-fight interview. "But yeah, I can't wait to do MMA, you know, I'm so excited to go. I've been watching my brother's last fight, it got me so fired up."

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 23 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.

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Tye Ruotolo plotting his own move to MMA after his brother's success

With his brother in his corner, Kade Ruotolo made his MMA debut at ONE 167 last month inside the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. There, the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion squared off with American MMA standout Blake Cooper—the brother of two-time welterweight champion Ray Cooper III.

Though Ruotolo looked admittedly green on the feet, he more than dominated once the fight hit the floor. In the end, he secured a victory via rear-naked choke at the 3:20 mark of the opening round.

Tye Ruotolo hopes to follow in his brothers' footsteps, dawning the four-ounce gloves in either late 2024 or early 2025.

Are you excited to see what both brothers can do in mixed martial arts after dominating the world of BJJ?