Tye Ruotolo says he can ‘elevate’ jiu-jitsu if he can continue tapping guys out like he did against Arslanaliev

Submission grappling superstar Tye Ruotolo is fresh off an incredible submission victory over no.2-ranked lightweight MMA contender Dagi Arslanaliev, executing a rear-naked choke within regulation to force a tap.

The 20-year-old American says that if he can continue pulling off exciting submissions like the one he did against Arslanaliev, the sport of submission grappling will have a bright future.

Ruotolo battled Arslanaliev in a catchweight submission grappling contest at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Prime Video last Friday night. After securing a heel hook against the Turkish fighter, action paused momentarily when it appeared Arslanaliev had tapped. The fight was not stopped, so Ruotolo immediately went to the rear-naked choke to complete the finish.

Speaking to veteran ONE Championship broadcast analyst Mitch Chilson in the ring, Ruotolo talked about the match, and said he was glad fans in Bangkok appreciated his performance despite it not being what they were used to in striking.

Ruotolo said:

“As long as we keep going with a submission like that, I feel like we can elevate the sport. We’re here at Lumpinee Stadium, I know that jiu-jitsu is not the biggest here in Thailand, a lot of these fans want to see violence, so I didn’t mind that.”

After the fight, Ruotolo was awarded a $50,000 bonus and it was announced that he will be competing for the inaugural 185-lb. welterweight submission grappling world title.

ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Prime Video took place at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of all the action absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video.