“I definitely wasn't expecting his strength” - Tye Ruotolo was shocked by Marat Gafurov’s physicality

ONE on Prime Video 5 was another event that showcased the potential of Kade and Tye Ruotolo. Whilst Kade defended his ONE lightweight submission grappling championship in the co-main event, Tye picked up a big win earlier in the night.

Facing former ONE lightweight champion Marat Gafurov, Tye won the contest via wristlock and earned himself a $50,000 bonus for his efforts. It seems only a matter of time before Tye Ruotolo joins his brother at the top of the card, with both twins having a breakthrough year in 2022.

After earning himself his second bonus of the year in ONE Championship, Tye dissected his performance during the post-event press conference with his brother. He said:

“He's a super, super tough individual. I never underestimate my opponents but I definitely wasn't expecting his strength, for sure. I was also doing my best to make the match as exciting as possible. So I gave him a few different positions that normally I wouldn't have, right. Normally, I go pass, takedown, and submit. I was waiting for a buggy choke, kind of getting him in a bottom position, and that kind of slowed me down a little bit.”

Watch the Ruotolo’s post-event interview below:

It is only proof of how high-level and confident the Ruotolo brothers. Tye submitted a former world champion halfway through the contest, yet he went on to say that it took longer than he would’ve wanted because he was trying to make it an exciting contest.

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WATCH: Tye Ruotolo taps out Marat Gafurov with a slick wristlock-armbar transition

ONE submission grappler and ADCC 2022 openweight bronze medalist Tye Ruotolo put on another excellent performance inside the circle at ONE on Prime Video 5.

The 19-year-old prodigy took on former ONE featherweight world champion Marat ‘Cobra’ Gafurov, a submission specialist in his own right. From start to finish, Tye Ruotolo hunted down the submission by presenting several threats.

He gave Gafurov no time to think about where his next attack was coming from, chaining his attacks in rapid succession to keep his opponent on the backfoot. Eventually, this paid off for Ruotolo as he went for an armbar attempt from the back and switched it to a triangle choke.

He got the tap by cranking on Gafurov’s trapped arm whilst pulling off a tough-to-watch wristlock/armbar, which his opponent couldn’t physically escape from, forcing the tap.

Ruotolo is now two for two with a pair of submission wins in ONE Championship. The latest victory also earned him a nice $50,000 performance bonus.

Watch the finish here:

"Tye Ruotolo 🇺🇸 submits former ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov with a NASTY armbar! @ruotolobrothersjiujitsu"