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For Tye Ruotolo and his twin Kade, fighting wasn't something they chose later in life. Long before medals, world titles, or perhaps before even proper memories, it's just what they did.
Where most kids only had to worry about school and maybe after-school games, the twins were already learning how to pass the guard.
Now, both brothers are at the top of their game and their respective divisions. Each twin holds his own ONE submission grappling world title - Tye for welterweight and Kade for lightweight.
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Having grown up on the mats, fighting was second nature to the twins. And that's what makes them so dangerous:
"We always just kind of felt normal," Tye Ruotolo told Combat Sports today. "Just scrapping and winning and fighting. That's what we've always done. So we just come from a fighting family."
Watch the full interview below:
Grappling superstar Tye Ruotolo says he and twin brother Kade were practically born into jiu-jitsu before they “had a choice”
The timeline goes all the way back, literally before they were even potty trained. Two mirror-image toddlers rolling around on the mats, not even fully understanding what BJJ really was:
"Kade and I, we were put into jiu-jitsu before we had a choice or even a chance, before we were potty trained, we were scrapping on the mats," Tye Ruotolo said.
Aside from training at a very young age, having each other around played massively into their growth as fighters. Having a partner gave them someone to check in with, push against, and grow alongside. That dynamic still holds up today:
"Having a twin brother, I think, to scrap with the whole way through this [journey] made us get so much better, so much tougher. [Life] gave you a partner, you know, [to] pick you up in the lows and knock you down on your highs too, to tell you [that] you got an ego, you know. So having my brother's been really good."
Tye Ruotolo is now set to defend his world title at ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2, live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. Fans in Canada and North America can catch the action with an active Prime Video subscription.
