“Looking forward to smashing guys here soon” - Tye Ruotolo itching for MMA debut in ONE Championship
After destroying a series of world-class opponents on the mat, Tye Ruotolo is ready to do some smashing with his fists.
Ruotolo added another impressive win to his resume at ONE Fight Night 23 inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium, besting 19-year-old BJJ wizard Jozef Chen by a unanimous decision.
The victory moved Ruotolo to a perfect 7-0 under the ONE Championship banner and has him chomping at the bit to make the move to MMA.
"So I'm excited to test my skills against the best here [in MMA] pretty soon, you know, probably get a couple of warm-up fights before that but yeah I'm looking forward to smashing guys here soon," Ruotolo told the South China Morning Post following his victory in Bangkok.
The reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion has already seen his twin brother and fellow ONE world champion Kade Ruotolo dawn the four-ounce gloves, earning a first-round finish against Blake Cooper at ONE 167 via rear-naked choke.
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 23 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.
Tye Ruotolo ready to jump right back into camp after his ONE Fight Night 23 win
Though Ruotolo is coming off his second win in three months, the 21-year-old jiu-jitsu superstar will be jumping right back into camp as he readies himself for the Craig Jones Invitational this August in Las Vegas.
"Just cruise for the next couple of days no matter what," he told SCMP MMA when asked what comes next. "Then, maybe the next week when I get back home, we have to go straight into the next camp here pretty soon.
"So I got to get my neck pretty situated, get everything all good, and then get ready for CJI, you know."
The tournament features a star-studded lineup including current ONE Championship stars Kade Rutolo and Tommy Langaker. Also competing at the event will be recent ONE debutant Jozef Chen, Renato Canuto, and Nicky Ryan.