The submission grappling world will be watching closely when ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo trades his grappling credentials for MMA gloves at ONE Fight Night 35 on 6 September at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 22-year-old American faces a daunting challenge in undefeated Adrian Lee, but Ruotolo's confidence remains unwavering as he prepares for what could be a career-defining moment in lightweight MMA competition.
Ruotolo's bold prediction for his debut centres on delivering a shocking performance that will immediately announce his arrival in MMA.
"It's gonna be a big surprise. I think it's either gonna be an extremely fast submission within the first minute, or it's gonna be a late round two finish by either TKO or submission," the Atos fighter declared.
His strategy revolves around maximizing his greatest weapon from the start of the contest.
"My plan is to get him out and finish the fight as soon as possible with what I'm the best at: jiu-jitsu. Slick and quick. That's the plan," Ruotolo explained with characteristic directness.
The grappling champion's 8-0 ONE Championship record includes four finishes, demonstrating his ability to end fights decisively across different rule sets.
His choice of opponent reflects a calculated risk rather than seeking an easy introduction to MMA.
"I didn't call him out because I think it's gonna be super easy. I called him out because he's good and because it's gonna be a good win on the resume. I've got a lot of respect for the kid and the family," he said of the 19-year-old Lee.
Ruotolo's ambitions extend beyond his debut, with another member of Lee family potentially on his radar.
"I know in my heart that I'm not scared of anyone, and I'm ready to fight,” he said. “I'm ready to scrap. I know that I'm capable of putting away anybody in the world quickly, so yeah, I think we would be ready for [Christian Lee]."
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