“I’m going to get in front of it” - Tye Ruotolo eyes pro MMA debut after Craig Jones Invitational
Reigning and undisputed ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo of the United States can't wait to follow in his twin brother Kade's footsteps into mixed martial arts.
Kade, the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion, made his pro MMA debut at ONE 167 last June, defeating fellow American Blake Cooper via first-round rear-naked choke.
Tye is coming off a unanimous decision victory over teenage sensation Jozef Chen in a catchweight submission grappling bout at the recently concluded ONE Fight Night 23 on Prime Video last week.
However, the 21-year-old wasn't happy with his performance, despite the victory, and blamed it on a nagging neck injury.
Tye says his MMA debut will come shortly and that he's excited to step into the cage soon after his appearance at Craig Jones Invitational.
He told Sportskeeda MMA in a recent interview:
"100 percent, I don’t see this [injury] as something of a big problem. I’m going to get in front of it and push for that [MMA] debut for sure. I’m gonna go home and take a little bit of time. Next time is CJI, and from there I’ll probably do an MMA debut shortly after for sure."
Fans can catch Tye Ruotolo's latest victory over Jozef Chen at ONE Fight Night 23 via replay on-demand on Amazon Prime Video.
Tye Ruotolo expects to see Jozef Chen again down the line: "We're both in the same bracket"
It's not uncommon for jiu-jitsu players to run into each other in competition often throughout their careers, and Tye Ruotolo was so impressed with South African teenager Jozef Chen that he knows he will see his opponent again sometime in the future.
Ruotolo said:
"Yeah, 100 percent. I think we got a comp coming up a little over a month, we're both in the same bracket. So I'm sure, you know, most likely we'll end up meeting up there. My brother's in that same bracket too, so maybe my brother will get to go with them. But either way, I’m sure that won’t be the last of them, you know."