BJJ Phenoms Tye Ruotolo And Jozef Chen Collide At ONE Fight Night 23

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ONE Championship has already gotten its summer off to a hot start, and it isn't looking to turn down the heat anytime soon. Recently, the promotion announced another clash between submission grappling superstars.

On July 6, two of the most exciting grapplers in the world collide at ONE Fight Night 23 when reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo locks horns with teenage phenom Jozef Chen in a non-title, 186-pound catchweight bout.

America's Ruotolo has developed a following in the world's largest martial arts organization. The welterweight submission magician holds a perfect 6-0 record in ONE, boasting victories against fellow specialists Dagi Arslanaliev, Izaak Michell, and Garry Tonon.

Before that, Ruotolo made his mark outside of ONE Championship as the youngest-ever entrant in ADCC at just 16 years old. And in typical Ruotolo fashion, the Atos product became the youngest IBJJF World Champion in 2022.

That brought him to ONE, where he has since revealed himself to a whole new audience against the stiffest of competition. But Chen is a fellow young phenom following in the American's path, and he may very well be on his way to becoming the next superstar.

At just 19-years-old, Chen has created a name for himself in the BJJ world in a short time. The B-Team Jiu Jitsu star first stepped on the mats five years ago at the age of 14. Since then, he's wasted no time clearing out the competition.

Just last year, Chen entered the ADCC European Trials where he remarkably won six bouts in one day. One of those victories also came over ONE World Title challenger Tommy Langaker.

At only 19, the submission artist now has a chance to assert himself against one of the biggest, baddest, and most successful names in the sport in Ruotolo. Despite the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title not being on the line, there's still plenty up for grabs.

For Ruotolo, it's a chance to come up against a relentless wave of momentum rarely seen, and stopping Chen would further cement his legacy as an all-time great. But for Chen, a win in the 186-pound catchweight clash could earn him a World Title opportunity down the line.