Tye Ruotolo still lost for words after ‘unreal’ world title victory over Magomed Abdulkadirov

Submission grappling superstar Tye Ruotolo is feeling at the top of the world following his world title triumph over Dagestani beast Magomed Abdulkadirov at ONE Fight Night 16 last Friday, November 3.

The Atos representative left the ring with his hand raised after a tough 10-minute war alongside the Russian phenom to lay claim to the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship.

Having racked up a 4-0 run under the ONE Championship banner, the 20-year-old is lost for words after accomplishing the one thing he had at the top of his to-do list since debuting at the promotion in May 2022.

During the post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson, he had this to say in front of a raucous crowd inside Bangkok’s revered Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

The Costa Rica-based athlete said:

“[This] feels so good. The belt is something I’ve been wanting for a long time, and I’m so stoked to have it around my waist. Unreal.”

After earning some exciting victories throughout his time in ONE so far, Abdulkadirov, a two-time UWW world grappling champion and a European ADCC winner, was hyped as one of the toughest contenders Tye Ruotolo would face in his promotional tenure.

Staying true to that notion, the Universal Fighters athlete made life difficult for the American BJJ specialist from the get-go, matching his numbers on the feet and the canvas until the dying seconds of the round.

Unfortunately for the debuting fighter, Tye Ruotolo stayed one step ahead, gained a catch, and hunted for one submission after another on his way to a clear-cut unanimous decision win.

Fans eager to relive their explosive submission grappling affair can do so on the ONE Championship YouTube channel. Meanwhile, combat sports fans in North America can watch ONE Fight Night 16 via the free replay function on Amazon Prime Video.