Tye Ruotolo says aggressive fighters “usually end up getting submitted” when they face either him or twin brother Kade

For Kade and Tye Ruotolo, there are only two options: a decision or a submission. There is no other choice beyond these two.

The Ruotolo brothers’ skillful and inventive submission grappling techniques have earned them recognition as two of the most innovative in the world. Their aggressive and attack-oriented approaches have also resulted in their victories in world title matches across ONE Championship, IBJJF, and ADCC.

Kade holds the titles of ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion and ADCC world champion, while Tye is recognized as the ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion and an IBJJF world champion.

During an interview with ONE Championship, Tye expressed that he and his brother often seek out opponents who share their offensive philosophy, as it often leads to the most exciting fights.

Tye Ruotolo noted that while defensive grapplers may often lose to them by decision or points, it is the aggressive fighters who are more susceptible to their lethal BJJ game.

“I think the common denominator there is when people come to us to fight, they usually end up getting submitted. Garry [Tonon] came to fight. Shinya [Aoki] was a little bit more defensive, Reinier [de Ridder] was a bit more defensive, those matches we didn’t get the sub. Guys that really come for us, come to attack.”

Both brothers hold undefeated 5-0 records in ONE Championship, however, Tye has achieved three submissions, surpassing Kade’s record of one.

Tye was able to secure submission victories against BJJ legend Garry Tonon, former ONE featherweight MMA world champion Marat Gafurov, and Dagi Arslanaliev during his tenure in the organization.

The 21-year-old aims to increase his submission count to four as he defends his gold against Australian standout Izaak Michell at ONE Fight Night 21 on Friday, airing during US primetime.

ONE Fight Night 21 will take place at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and will be live and free for all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

Tye Ruotolo prepares for Izaak Michell’s wrestling in highly anticipated world title bout

Tye Ruotolo was consistently vocal about his desire to face formidable opponents, and his wish has been granted as Izaak Michell steps up to challenge him for the ONE welterweight submission grappling world title in Bangkok.

Like Tye, Michell is an aggressive grappler who relies on wrestling to take fights to the ground.

Instead of utilizing the technique of pulling guard, Michell and Tye would opt for shooting takedowns during their matches, eventually transitioning to more advantageous positions on the mat.

During the same interview, Tye stated:

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