“He’s a very tough opponent” – Tye Ruotolo ready to face Izaak Michell’s wrestling-heavy style in first world title defense

Tye Ruotolo is fully prepared to commence his reign as the ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion, and his top priority is to protect his title by facing a fighter he has always desired to compete against.

On Friday, in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 21, the American phenom will defend his gold against Izaak Michell at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in US primetime.

Prior to his Bangkok match with Michell, Ruotolo informed ONE Championship of his predictions for the Australian fighter’s performance in their upcoming world title bout.

Tye Ruotolo stated:

“A lot of people are trying to say he has the best wrestling in jiu-jitsu. I just think he’s a very tough opponent.”

Michell and Ruotolo represent the new generation of Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners, known for their proactive approach of initiating grappling exchanges rather than relying on pulling guard to initiate their offense.

Particularly, Ruotolo makes a conscious effort to refrain from pulling guard in his matches and instead prefers to secure a takedown if the opportunity arises.

The 21-year-old’s aggressive style solidified her position as one of Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s most intimidating grapplers, and Ruotolo solidified this reputation by accumulating numerous world titles.

Ruotolo’s success in the 2021 Who’s Number One tournament and the 2022 IBJJF World Championships earned him world titles. However, his most significant victory was in November 2023, when he defeated Magomed Abdulkadirov to become the first ever ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion.

ONE Fight Night 21 will be Ruotolo’s inaugural title defense and the entire event can be viewed live and free by all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

Tye Ruotolo shares his thoughts on Izaak Michell’s unique grappling style

Tye Ruotolo and Izaak Michell have numerous similarities, but perhaps the most noteworthy is their fierce and unrestrained offensive tactics.

During an interview with the South China Morning Post, Ruotolo acknowledged that Michell’s style is captivating as the Australian standout employs a similar approach in his matches, similar to Ruotolo’s own approach.

Roll mentioned:

“He is, for sure. His style of jiu-jitsu intrigues me. Number one, I know he likes to fight hard and he’s very aggressive, you know, which is good because I like when people are aggressive towards me. It definitely brings a bigger and better beast out of me.”

To see the full interview with Ruotolo, watch the video below.