“I came real close” – Tye Ruotolo felt disappointed after not submitting Magomed Abdulkadirov in title-clinching win

Despite his status as an American superstar, Tye Ruotolo expressed disappointment when he was unable to secure a win against Magomed Abdulkadirov.

In November 2023, Ruotolo and Abdulkadirov faced off at the renowned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, as the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 16. The stakes were raised for the two elite competitors, with the opportunity to compete for the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world title on the line.

Despite the time limit expiring, Ruotolo maintained control of the tempo and ultimately secured a unanimous decision victory. In a recent interview on The Shintaro Higashi Show, the 21-year-old reflected on his performance against Abdulkadirov, stating the following:

“I was disappointed that I didn’t get the submission in my world title match, but the match was super exciting, you know. He was very defensive, you know, so I couldn’t quite get the submissions. But I came real close many different times.”

Despite not being completely content with his victory that secured his title, Ruotolo did earn another notable accomplishment to his list of achievements. As the current ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion, he maintains a 5-0 record with two of his fights concluding before the full duration.

View the complete interview with Tye Ruotolo in the video below:

Future Plans for Tye Ruotolo in ONE Championship

On Friday, April 5, Tye Ruotolo will make his highly anticipated return to defend his ONE welterweight submission grappling title for the first time. The talented American will have a major opportunity to display his exceptional abilities, as he has been chosen as the co-main event for ONE Fight Night 21.

Ruotolo’s upcoming match against promotional newcomer Izaak Michell is likely to be his biggest challenge yet in ONE. The 25-year-old Australian, who is trained by the renowned John Danaher, has already demonstrated his abilities with victories over Jansen Gomes and Roberto Jimenez.

The highly anticipated ONE Fight Night 21 is set to occur at the renowned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. This event, which will showcase two world title fights, will be available for live viewing at no cost to North American viewers who hold an active subscription to Amazon Prime Video.