Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo Eyes ‘Short Road To The Top’ After Epic MMA Debut

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The name Tye Ruotolo has become synonymous with success, as the reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion successfully transitioned to MMA and secured a remarkable victory over previously undefeated teenage phenom Adrian Lee at ONE Fight Night 35 on 6 September.

Earlier this year, when Ruotolo called out "The Phenom" for his MMA debut, many questioned whether it was the right matchup for such a high-profile debut. Lee was riding a three submission-win streak, but his momentum came to a halt when the 22-year-old American defeated him via submission.

With nine victories in the promotion's submission grappling and MMA ranks, the Atos representative heaped praise for his young opponent, calling him well-rounded. Ruotolo said that the way Lee fought against him shows he has a promising career ahead of him.

"Absolute scrapper. Super formidable opponent, for sure. You know, he's good everywhere. He's got good striking, good grappling - and that's why I called him out. I knew it wasn't going to be an easy match, and I'm just super stoked to be able to get the win," Ruotolo said.

"I think that Adrian has a bright career ahead of him, and that he's an excellent MMA fighter for sure. He didn't want to tap. He got slept. So I know that he's got a lot of fight in his heart. I know for sure he'll be back."

The fight lasted a little over nine minutes, with the Californian dominating on the ground. As soon as the bell rang, the American took Lee down to the canvas and controlled him while threatening submission attempts. In the second round, he capitalized on an opportunity to secure a rear-naked choke.

Ruotolo tightened the choke, and Lee was forced to tap out at the 4:14 mark. The other half of legendary Ruotolo brothers believes that this is an entirely fresh journey for him, and he wants to keep winning in MMA while continuing to defend his grappling title.

"Like I said, you know, this isn't just another day in the office. It's a whole new experience for me, so the fact that I got to come out on top and I'm not too hurt, and I'm just real happy and blessed, super grateful. Good day," Ruotolo said.

"I want to keep winning in MMA. I want to have a short road to the top. And, yeah, so whoever's next, who's going to get me to the belt, that's what I want next. I want to keep defending my belt for jiu-jitsu at the same time."