ONE Fight Night 16 preview and predictions: Tye Ruotolo vs. Magomed Abdulkadirov

ONE Championship will crown its fourth submission grappling world champion this coming Friday in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video.

Following Danielle Kelly’s ascension as the new atomweight submission grappling queen last September, Tye Ruotolo and Magomed Abdulkadirov will leave it all on the line for the chance to become the promotion’s inaugural welterweight submission grappling world champion.

The stacked-10 fight card will emanate from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on November 3, live on US Primetime for Prime Video subscribers in North America.

After a perfect 4-0 run in the world’s largest martial arts organization, Ruotolo is finally getting that well-earned shot at 26 pounds of gold.

The youngest IBJJ world champion’s body of work speaks for itself, which includes submission wins over Garry Tonon, Marat Gafurov, and Dagi Arslanaliev. Ruotolo even outclassed the bigger Reinier de Ridder in a 10-minute chess match last May.

Tye Ruotolo has always been destined for greatness and may soon join his twin Kade as a world champion on the biggest stage of martial arts competition.

For that to materialize, he must first go through a brick wall named Magomed Abdulkadirov. The Russian grappler might not be a household name like Ruotolo, but his stock will certainly skyrocket if he can pull off the upset.

Abdulkadirov’s Dagestani-style pressure wrestling is complemented by a deep understanding of the intricacies of modern grappling. The Universal Fighters affiliate is a BJJ black belt who won the ADCC European Trials Championship, along with other prestigious accolades.

As always, Sportskeeda MMA’s ONE Championship squad has analyzed this high-stakes affair and offered their two cents. Check out their picks below:

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James De Rozario: Tye Ruotolo via submission (rear-naked choke)

I expect Abdulkadirov to push the pace and bring the fight to Ruotolo when these two start hunting for dominant positions. That plan, however, could backfire and leave the Russian with a forgettable debut.

Ruotolo prospers in gridlock situations, and if the Dagestani beast comes into Ruotolo’s territory hunting for an opening, he’ll also only leave himself more accessible to the American’s leg or arm-pinning game.

The 20-year-old has an immense amount of speed at his disposal too, which could shrug off the more strength-based style of Abdulkadirov. His constant search for a lock or hold would eventually lead to a first catch or submission attempt.

Though I expect the Dagestan grappler to match Ruotolo’s numbers for as long as he can, I envision the Atos representative gaining Abdulkadirov’s back during a scramble, sinking in a rear-naked choke, and leaving the ring with a perfect 5-0 record and the most coveted prize in submission grappling today.

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Duane Lucas Pascua: Tye Ruotolo via submission (heel hook)

Simple. Ruotolo via heel hook. Same dance as when his brother faced Kurzhev. Relentless pressure and aggressive submission attacks. Abdulkadirov wouldn't know half the stuff Tye would throw at him.

Vince Richards: Tye Ruotolo via decision

Tye Ruotolo, well, he and his brother Kade, practically made submission grappling into one of the most exciting combat sports out there. Tye has that flash, speed, and aggression that puts his BJJ game into a different tier of excitement. Against him will be Magomed Abdulkadirov, an equally aggressive grappler who will pull off strong offensive maneuvers out of his bag of tricks.

This submission grappling match is by no means a snoozer, and these two will go at it and push the ruleset to its limits. Both are equally adept at working up top or on guard, but it’s the way they’ll bring the action to the mat that will have fans at the edge of their seats.

Tye and Abdulkadirov aren’t shy in slamming their opponents down just to get that dominant position, and I see them pulling some moves akin to pro-wrestling in their match for the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world title. As good as Abdulkadirov is, I see Tye’s experience in ONE Championship playing out to his advantage.

Tye knows all of the nuances of fighting in the ring, and I expect him to use the enclosed space to set up his submissions just like he did against Dagi Arslanaliev. There could be a submission waiting, but I sense that judges will award Tye the win and the gold.

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Mike Murillo: Tye Ruotolo via submission

I expect the Ruotolo-Abdulkadirov showdown to be a competitive match. Both are very aggressive and not short in motivation to come up with a win and be crowned the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion. However, I see Tye Ruotolo winning by submission midway into the 10-minute title clash.

It could come by way of a heel hook or rear-naked choke. While he is just 20 years old, as opposed to Abdulkadirov, 32, he has fought against the best grapplers in the game and at the biggest of platforms in ONE, which I believe will make a big difference in his upcoming fight.

True, Abdulkadirov is no longer a stranger to title fights, having done well in the grappling circuit in Europe, and that should help him give Ruotolo a test. But still, fighting under the ONE Championship setting would be a challenge to him in his initial foray into the promotion, making his bid all the more difficult.