Reigning and undisputed ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo of the United States knows for a fact that one day, he will make the highly anticipated transition to professional mixed martial arts competition.
However, for now, the 21-year-old says he is content seeing his twin brother Kade Ruotolo, the ONE lightweight submission grappling king, take the leap of faith first. In fact, Tye says he's giving Kade his full support, as always.
Kade is set to make his professional MMA debut against fellow American Blake Cooper at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video. The event broadcasts live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, June 7.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Tye said he was excited to see his brother Kade throw down in MMA. The 21-year-old superstar said:
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"No matter what, we'll always be in each other's corners. I'm excited to see him throw punches this time around."
The Ruotolo brothers have been working on their striking for the past few years, in hopes of making their MMA debuts. The twins have even gone as far as spending time in Thailand, working out with guys like Superbon and Nong-O Hama in Muay Thai.
Tye Ruotolo supports twin brother in MMA debut: "I'm going to direct all my energy towards Kade"
Kade Ruotolo's next fight is a big one for the Ruotolo twins. This is why Tye Ruotolo says he will be putting all of his time and effort into making sure Kade's MMA debut is a successful one.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA, Tye said:
"You know what, I'm actually just going to focus on Kade's [MMA debut] this time around. This is something that's new to us, so I'm going to direct all my energy towards Kade. I'm really excited to see what he can do with his skills."
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action of ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga live and free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.