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ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo is still determined to push through with his plans to make his MMA debut. He is willing to take on anybody that will be pitted against him, confident of the strides he has made in the multifaceted sport.
The 21-year-old Atos standout touched on it when asked in an interview with the South China Morning Post following his latest victory last week at ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov in Thailand, saying:
"It does not really matter to me. It'll be my first MMA fight, you know, my first debut. So maybe not the toughest guy, you know. Maybe I pull the taxi driver or something, you know. But it really doesn't matter to me, you know. I know that my hands are great, you know, and I know that my jiu-jitsu is even better."
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Tye Ruotolo's twin brother Kade, the lightweight submission grappling king, made his MMA debut in June at ONE 167, winning by submission against fellow American fighter Blake Cooper in the opening round.
It is the same success that Tye hopes to have when his time to plunge into MMA action comes.
Tye Ruotolo remains among the best in submission grappling
While he is gearing up for his MMA debut, Tye Ruotolo remains on top of his game in submission grappling, racing to his seventh victory in as many matches in ONE Championship last week.
The Californian grappling ace defeated BJJ phenom Jozef Chen in their catchweight (186 pounds) clash at ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov on Prime Video on July 5 at the famed Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
It kept his unblemished record in the promotion intact and highlighted further his standing as one of the noted faces of submission grappling in ONE.
Against Chen, Tye Ruotolo had to dig deep early as he tried to figure out his opponent's game. But he kept the pressure on the 19-year-old South African and stayed aggressive as the contest progressed. The push paid dividends as he earned the unanimous decision victory.
The win was the second for Ruotolo this year after his victory over Australian Izaak Michell back in April when he he successfully defended his welterweight submission grappling world title.
