3 reasons why Tye Ruotolo remains perfect against elite competition in ONE Championship
Tye Ruotolo has lived up to the hype and more after he took ONE Championship's submission grappling scene by storm. The reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion has exuded unparalleled greatness in his perfect 7-0 in the world's largest martial arts organization.
Ruotolo has decimated the elite of the elite, including massive victories over the likes of credentialed grapplers Garry Tonon, Marat Gafurov, Izaak Michell, and Jozef Chen, just to name a few.
The Atos standout will figure in arguably his stiffest test yet when he defends his 26 pounds of gold in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video this coming May 2 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Before Tye Ruotolo gears up for battle, let's look at the three biggest reasons why he's been untouchable in ONE Championship.
1. Incredible motor and mad scrambles
While Tye Ruotolo is one of the most technically sound grapplers you'll ever see, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Like an unstoppable snowball rolling downhill, the 22-year-old's insane pacing has drowned even some of the most experienced grapplers in the world. Moreover, the 185-pound champ thrives in chaotic exchanges, often instigating mad scrambles just to get the slightest advantage.
2. Aggressive takedown game
Butt scoots and guard pulls are quite the norm in the BJJ scene, but Tye Ruotolo is simply a different breed. The San Diego, California native never backs away from a battle of grit with heavy collar ties and loves to send a message with the variety of incredible takedowns and trips at his disposal.
Despite not coming from a traditional wrestling or judo background, Ruotolo dives head-on and dominates with his physicality and technical brilliance.
Pair that with him and his twin Kade's signature leg-pinning passing system, and it's pretty checkmate for the opposition.
3. Plethora of submissions
What separates Tye Ruotolo from the pack is that his opponents are never in a safe spot and cannot afford even a split-second lapse against him.
The youngest IBJJF world champion has proven time and time again that his creativity when it comes to setting up and finishing submissions is second to none.
The D'Arce choke is pretty much synonymous with the Ruotolos by now, and they have so many more creative ways to make opponents yield. Remember that nasty 'Ruotolo-tine' he finished Izaak Michell with?
ONE Fight Night 31 will air live in US Primetime free of charge for those with a Prime Video subscription in the United States and Canada