“I got a lot of respect for him” – Tye Ruotolo salutes Magomed Abdulkadirov for taking on massive world title fight

Tye Ruotolo showed some appreciation toward his ONE Fight Night 16 opponent, Magomed Abdulkadirov following their submission war last week.

Stepping into the co-main event spotlight inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Tye Ruotolo took advantage of the opportunity to make history, competing for the inaugural ONE welterweight world championship against the dangerous Dagestani-wrestling standout.

After 10 minutes of intense action, Ruotolo’s hand was raised as the winner via unanimous decision, capturing his first ONE world title and etching his name in the history books.

Following the contest, Tye Ruotolo offered nothing, but compliments when speaking about Magomed Abdulkadirov and his willingness to take the match.

“I got a lot of respect for him for taking the match. I know, it's been hard to find matches, so appreciate Mr. Magomed. Good, man,” Rutolo said at the ONE Fight Night 16 post-fight press event.

With the victory, Tye Rutolo moved to 5-0 under the ONE Championship banner with wins over former and current world champions including Marat Gafurov and Reinier de Ridder. He also carries an 82-second submission victory over BJJ icon Garry ‘The Lion Killer’ Tonon, a feat he accomplished in his promotional debut in May 2022.

He now joins his brother and reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion, Kade Ruotolo, at the top of the BJJ mountain. Next, the world-famous Ruotolo duo have their eyes on a potential run in the world of mixed martial arts.

Who would you like to see Tye Ruotolo compete against when he makes his inevitable debut in the four-ounce gloves?

If you missed any of the action or want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade replay can be watched anytime on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.