“I've always wanted to be an MMA champion” – Tye Ruotolo still has gold in mind once he transitions to MMA 

Tye Ruotolo doesn’t plan on having his mixed martial arts debut to be a one-off or a gimmick fight of some sort.

The newly minted ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion says he’s all in once he decides to take the leap.

In fact, the 20-year-old prodigy plans to take the MMA world by storm, just like when he and his twin brother Kade disrupted the Brazilian jiu-jitsu landscape.

Shortly after capturing 26 pounds of gold by outclassing Magomed Abdulkadirov at ONE Fight Night 16 last weekend, Ruotolo once again fielded questions about a possible MMA transition.

The Atos stud said he also dreams of becoming a two-sport world champion, by also conquering the MMA ranks.

“That's for an MMA fight. And not just a fight, but to have the title. I've always wanted to be an MMA champion, as well,” he said in his OFN16 post-event interview.

“And, you know, I've been so focused on jiu-jitsu my entire life. But I've also been striking too, and I think when we're ready to make the transition, a lot of people are going to be surprised.”

The Ruotolos, Tye and Kade, are gifted athletes whose virtuosic skills are complemented by a burning desire to better.

Considering they already have the grappling part covered, the siblings simply need to shore up their striking and should have an immediate impact in MMA.

For now, Tye Ruotolo is still enjoying the spoils of his title-clinching victory. Do you think he’ll have the same success if he does decide to put the four-ounce gloves inside Circle?

In the meantime, the replay of Ruotolo’s epic performance at ONE Fight Night 16 is available anytime on demand for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.