Australian grappling standout Izaak Michell says ONE Championship would hit the ground running in his homeland

According to Australian grappling expert Izaak Michell, ONE Championship is likely to find a receptive audience when it chooses to host in-person events in “The Land Down Under.”

Based on his interactions with fight fans in his home country, the 25-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu star confidently stated that ONE and its world-class martial arts events will be warmly embraced in his homeland.

Izaak Michell, who is currently ranked as the second best grappler in the world in the men’s 185-pound category according to Flograppling’s official no-gi rankings, recently revealed in an interview with ONE Championship:

“I do. I think, you know, just after the promotion of the match, a lot of people have been coming up to me off the streets and a lot people watch ONE. I definitely do think there’s a big market for it. So, I’ve been receiving a lot of comments just off the streets and, you know, talking to people. I think Australia loves to watch ONE Championship.”

Izaak Michell’s ONE debut will take place on April 5 at ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas in Bangkok, Thailand.

He is set to compete for the ONE welterweight submission grappling world title against Tye Ruotolo, the current champion and top-ranked grappler in the world.

Reece McLaren will join a growing number of Australian fighters competing in ONE Championship, alongside notable names like former two-division MMA world champion Martin Nguyen, Danial Williams, Alex Roberts, Duke Didier, and Diandra Martin.

The upcoming ONE Fight Night 21 is scheduled to be held at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on April 5 and will be broadcasted live during U.S. primetime. Viewers in both the United States and Canada can watch the event for free with a currently active Prime Video subscription.

Izaak Michell sets sights on dethroning Tye Ruotolo as welterweight submission grappling champion

Izaak Mitchell, who is making his debut in ONE Championship, believes that he possesses the necessary abilities to defeat reigning welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo and dethrone him.

The fighter, who hails from Adelaide in South Australia, is set to compete for the welterweight grappling title at ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas on April 5 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Despite facing a tough competitor in Ruotolo, Michell remains confident in his ability to secure a victory.

During an interview with ONE, he stated:

“I think the general fans and everyone, they just get what the media feeds them and so on. But the other guys, you know, they can recognize someone’s potential when they’re coming up and before they even reach that peak of sorts in the sport. So yeah, I think it’s just that I’m capable enough to win, and God willing, that will happen.”

After claiming the world champion title in November with a unanimous decision win against Russian Magomed Abdulkadirov, Ruotolo will now defend his title for the first time at ONE Fight Night 21. This will mark his fifth consecutive victory in the promotion, maintaining his undefeated streak.

Izaak Michell, on the other hand, has set his sights on becoming a world champion in his debut ONE Championship fight, aiming to make a lasting impact.