"I'm very impressed" - Izaak Michell in awe of welterweight submission grappling king Tye Ruotolo's arsenal
Australian submission grappling ace Izaak Michell says he isn't taking his next opponent lightly by any means. In fact, the 25-year-old veteran says he is absolutely amazed by Tye Ruotolo's incredible skills.
Michell and Ruotolo throw down in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas on Prime Video. The event will be broadcast live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, April 5th.
It is Michell's first opportunity at Ruotolo's ONE welterweight submission grappling world title and the latter's first world title defense.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Michell says he has been studying Ruotolo's game and says he likes what he sees.
The 25-year-old from Adelaide said:
"I'm anticipating that, and I've been watching a lot of Tye's matches and studying him. And you know, I'm very impressed with him as a grappler."
Tye Ruotolo has been an absolute force in ONE Championship since joining the world's largest martial arts organization in 2022. The American has since won his five fights in the promotion, which includes three submission finishes and multiple performance bonuses.
Meanwhile, Izaak Michell is making his promotional debut. The Australian has trained under legendary coaches such as Lloyd Irvin, Renzo Gracie, and John Danaher and brings a wealth of experience in jiu-jitsu's most prestigious tournaments.
Izaak Michell likes his chances against Tye Ruotolo: "I'm capable enough to win"
Australian grappling phenom Izaak Michell warns fans not to underestimate him against Tye Ruotolo. In fact, he believes he can shock the world.
Michell told ONE Championship:
"I think the general fans and everyone, they just get what the media feeds them and so on. But the other guys, you know, they can recognize someone's potential when they're coming up and before they even reach that peak sort of status in the sport. So yeah, I think it's just that I'm capable enough to win and god willing, that will happen."
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action of ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.