“I want to take on the biggest, best guys” – Tye Ruotolo eyes Nicholas Meregali super fight after he takes on Izaak Michell

Tye Ruotolo hopes to continue receiving numerous opportunities for superfights.

The current ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion continues to dominate in ONE Championship and has set his sights on adding Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy Nicholas Meregali to his list of defeated opponents.

This Friday, Ruotolo is set to defend his gold at ONE Fight Night 21 against Izaak Michell at the renowned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Despite this, Ruotolo remains determined to continue hosting fights and has his sights set on Meregali.

During an interview with ONE Championship, Tye Ruotolo stated:

“Meregali, I want [him] tomorrow. I’m not looking past Izaak, I want to take on the biggest, best guys possible. That’s why I’m fighting Izaak because he’s on that list.”

Even before winning the first ONE welterweight submission grappling world title at ONE Fight Night 16, Ruotolo was already eager for a match against Michell. However, his ongoing rivalry with Meregali had been brewing for a while.

The duo delivered an outstanding performance in the absolutes division during the 2022 ADCC world championships.

Despite this, Ruotolo is still eager for another opportunity to compete against the super-heavyweight champion in ONE Championship.

Exploring the Common Traits of Tye Ruotolo and Izaak Michell, Top Contenders for the World Title

Despite facing Izaak Michell in a potentially unfriendly atmosphere in Bangkok, Tye Ruotolo, the reigning welterweight submission grappling champion, acknowledges that he and his world title challenger have many resemblances.

Despite his success in BJJ, Ruotolo also enjoys surfing and can often be found riding the waves in California, his home state. He has also been known to travel to Costa Rica for some surfing adventures.

Meanwhile, Michell shares a similar hobby and frequently participates in surfing in his native country, Australia.

In a statement to the South China Morning Post, Ruotolo stated:

“Izaak, he’s got a cool lifestyle. I’ve seen in Australia, with him surfing and all that. We’ll see after [if we connect], but yeah he’s doing good stuff. I’m excited to have a match with him.”

All Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 21 live and free of charge.

View the interview with Ruotolo and his twin brother Kade below: