Tye Ruotolo plans to block out pressure of world title clash at ONE Fight Night 16

Tye Ruotolo exudes unwavering confidence as he aims to make history this Friday, November 3.

He faces Magomed Abdulkadirov for the inaugural ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title. The bout takes place in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video. It airs live in U.S. primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The stakes are high for Ruotolo, and the pressure is undeniable. However, he remains unfazed and determined to give it his all.

“You can’t help but think about [the pressure], for sure. You know, it pops into my mind here and there, and I think everyone’s different,” he said.

“But for me, I feel like it’s my job to kind of block that out and focus on the task at hand. Because I’m not fighting the title. I’m fighting Magomed.”

His belief isn’t just empty bravado. It’s grounded in his unwavering focus. Instead of fixating on the prospect of becoming the first-ever ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion, he concentrates solely on how he will achieve victory.

“At the end of the day, that’s what I’m focusing on all day long. At night, that’s all I’m thinking about is Magomed, how I’m going to dismantle him,” he said.

Tye Ruotolo gives Magomed Abdulkadirov zero chance of winning

One might expect a certain degree of caution when speaking about an opponent, but Tye Ruotolo leaves no room for ambiguity in his assessment of Magomed Abdulkadirov‘s chances.

In fact, the American grappler doesn’t think the Russian has even a sliver of hope at ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video.

“You know, I truly believe there’s no chance, if I’m fully prepared, that he’s going to take the win. There’s no way,” Ruotolo said.