Tye Ruotolo open to facing twin brother for lightweight gold following inaugural world title win

ONE Fight Night 16 last Friday, November 3, marked a momentous occasion for Tye Ruotolo as he captured the inaugural ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title.

On the card at Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, he put forth an impressive performance against Magomed Abdulkadirov. Throughout the match, he launched attacks from various positions, ultimately securing a unanimous decision win.

Following his historic triumph, Ruotolo shed light on his not-so-distant future. While the grappling world awaits the news of his next opponent, the American BJJ phenom made it clear that he holds no reservations about potentially facing his twin brother, Kade, for the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title.

“My brother and I are always open to fighting each other because we do it every day. It’s nothing out of the ordinary,” he said.

“Currently, I have three wins over my brother, which is funny because most of the time he was beating me. But I caught him in the end every time.”

The idea of squaring off against a sibling might seem intense to some, but Ruotolo emphasized that it wouldn’t be a personal matter if they ever found themselves on opposite ends of the mat.

“In my life, there’s no one that I’d rather not fight in a competition than my brother. He’s the toughest guy in the world. You can fight strong guys, big guys, but the scariest thing is someone technical, and my brother knows my game perfectly,” he said.

“So it’s going to be a war every time we fight, and I’m open to fighting for sure. We’re so close, no matter what happens, it’s just like another day in training.”

Tye Ruotolo doubles down on MMA transition

The story doesn’t end there for Tye Ruotolo and his brother.

The twins have confirmed their intentions to try their hands at MMA under the ONE banner.

While Ruotolo hasn’t specified a particular date, he is certain that a move to the all-encompassing sport is their next priority.

“One million percent. I feel like I have a big, unchecked box on my bucket list, and that’s for an MMA fight. Not just for a fight but to have the title. I’ve always wanted to be an MMA champion as well. I’ve been so focused on jiu-jitsu my entire life, and I’ve also been striking too,” he said.

“I think when we’re ready to make the transition, a lot of people are going to be surprised. And I think my brother and I are going to take our time, but we’re going to do some damage. I’m really excited to make that transition, and I’m going to take my time and keep on representing the belt in jiu-jitsu until then.”