“It just made me really wanna scrap” - Tye Ruotolo admits watching twin Kade achieve great things in MMA fired him up 

Tye Ruotolo has been out of the game longer than most people realize. After tearing multiple ligaments in his right knee during a match against Levi Jones-Leary at the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) last summer, the ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion was sidelined.

While he was recovering and trying to stay patient, his brother Kade was out there racking up win after win in MMA:

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“I feel like the toughest part was watching [Kade] scrapping in MMA," Tye told ONE Championship in an exclusive interview. "It just made me really wanna scrap, too."

And when you're a twin used to doing everything together - training, competing, rising up the ranks - getting left behind can really sting. While Kade was building momentum, Tye had to sit back and watch.

Now, as ONE Fight Night 31 comes, we'll be seeing a fired-up Tye Ruotolo with about a year's worth of pent-up fight energy.

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Tye Ruotolo says mental fortitude was crucial during lengthy spell on the sidelines: "I was doing what I could every day"

Having grown up on the mats, training comes as naturally as eating or sleeping. For Tye Ruotolo, who had to sit on the sidelines due to his injury, the long layoff has its own kind of challenge.

That could've brought him spiraling down, but Tye made sure to keep his mental health in check, doing little self-checks to make sure that he isn't dwelling on the negative:

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"What you can control is the day-to-day. So I just made sure that I was doing what I could every day for myself, just checking in. It's important to have those mental checkups on yourself even every day,"

And after several long months of recovery, he's finally back. And on May 2, at ONE Fight Night 31, Tye Ruotolo returns to defend his ONE welterweight submission grappling world title against Canadian standout Dante Leon.

Catch it live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium with an active Prime Video subscription.

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