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Tye Ruotolo's strong warrior spirit has allowed him to soldier on through a multitude of injuries throughout his decorated grappling career.
However, the 22-year-old admitted his latest experience with the injury bug was his worst one yet.
The youngest IBJJF world champion reportedly tore multiple ligaments on his right knee during his Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) match against Levi Jones-Leary.
It got so bad that Ruotolo thought he needed to get surgery and miss a considerable amount of time.
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The reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion, though, thanked his lucky stars after his recovery went well and avoided going under the knife.
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The Atos standout shared in a ONE Championship interview:
“I didn’t need to go with the surgery. I was super stoked. My body ended up healing after a couple months. And yeah, it’s just been getting my knee strong and getting it ready for competition over the past six months – longest time I’ve ever been out of competition and off the mats."
Tye Ruotolo is now back to 100 percent and is ready to handle business against familiar foe Dante Leon. 26 pounds of gold will be on the line when Ruotolo tussles with the Canadian powerhouse in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video on May 2, live in US primetime.
Tye Ruotolo just grateful to be back healthy again
Tye Ruotolo remained optimistic during his time away from competition and instead put his focus on cornering his twin, Kade Ruotolo, during his MMA matches.
The welterweight submission grappling king practiced patience and allowed his body ample time to rest and recover. It was a grueling ordeal both physically and mentally, but Ruotolo admitted it made him a much better martial artist:
“It’s been quite a process getting it back, for sure. I’m just grateful to have another opportunity to be on the mat. I definitely took it for granted, just competing, even,” he told ONE.
ONE Fight Night 31 will emanate from 'The Mecca of Muay Thai' Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The full event is free for Prime Video subscribers in North America
