Grappling ace Tye Ruotolo only wants elite MMA competition: ‘I don’t want to fight the taxi cab drivers’

Grappling champion Tye Ruotolo revealed he only wants to fight elite competition in mixed martial arts as he prepares to challenge two-division champion Christian Lee for the welterweight title in ONE Championship. Currently holding a 2-0 record in MMA with consecutive rear-naked choke victories, Ruotolo explained that he prefers facing tough, world-class opponents rather than taking easy matchups to build up his record.

Ruotolo previously defeated Christian Lee's younger brother, Adrian Lee, and Shozo Isojima in his first two bouts. Heading into the championship fight in Thailand, the 23-year-old plans to win by submission and aims to actively defend both his grappling and MMA titles simultaneously.