Welterweight submission grappling king Tye Ruotolo on why he personally called out Izaak Michell: “He’s respected”

Tye Ruotolo, a renowned ONE superstar in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, revealed his motivation for challenging Izaak Michell in a competition.

In May 2022, Ruotolo successfully debuted in ONE Championship by defeating Garry Tonon with a D’arce choke. Since then, the 21-year-old has continued to excel, earning four additional victories within the promotion. Most recently, he secured a unanimous decision against Magomed Abdulkadirov, earning the title of inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion.

On April 5, the 21-year-old American superstar will be making his first defense of his throne in the ONE Fight Night 21 co-main event. His opponent, promotional newcomer Izaak Michell, aims to continue his career ascent with a victory over the IBJJF world champion.

In an interview with ONE, Tye Ruotolo expressed his desire to face Michell under the ONE banner.

“I’ve been asking for Izaak for a little bit now. I’ve seen the success he’s been having in the jiu-jitsu world. He’s been beating a lot of good guys. He won the Who’s Next show. He’s respected.”

ONE Fight Night 21 will take place at the renowned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. This Friday’s event will showcase two world-title fights, including Regian Eersel defending his lightweight kickboxing championship against Alexis Nicolas. North American viewers with a Prime Video subscription can tune in live and for no additional cost.

The Ruotolo Brothers Take Over ONE Fight Night 21

Tye Ruotolo will have additional support at ONE Fight Night 21, as his 21-year-old twin brother Kade Ruotolo, the current ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion, will also be participating in the event.

After successfully defending his lightweight title for the third consecutive time against Tommy Langaker on Jan. 28, Kade Ruotolo is now preparing for a catchweight bout against newcomer Francisco Lo later this week. Despite temporarily leaving his division, Ruotolo remains determined to continue his reign as champion.

At just 23 years old, Lo is not your typical debutant. With a prestigious title as the IBJJF Pan American No-Gi world champion, he is now determined to solidify his place in the world of combat sports by defeating Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 21.