ONE Fight Night 21 results: Tye Ruotolo taps out Izaak Michell with 'Ruotolo-tine'
They call it the 'Ruotolo-tine', and Tye Ruotolo executed it to perfection. What's even more incredible is the fact that earlier in the evening, his twin brother Kade finished Francisco Lo with the same hybrid rear-naked choke/arm-triangle maneuver.
ONE Championship announcer Dom Lau even announced it at the end of the match: "Here is your winner, by Ruotolo-tine -- Tye Ruotolo!"
Ruotolo put his ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship on the line against Australian grappling star Izaak Michell at ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas on Prime Video.
The event took place at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, last Saturday, April 6th.
Although Michell proved to be a formidable wrestler, the Australian was no match for the American's swift and explosive scrambling. As proof, Michell could take Ruotolo to the ground, but the defending champion exploded with a reversal that sent gasps through the crowd.
With mount secured, it was only a matter of time until Ruotolo would take the back and lock in the twins' newly minted submission move.
As Michell's face turned blood red from the immense pressure, he had no chance but to tap.
The official finish came at the 4:43 minute mark. And just like his brother Kade, the performance earned him a $50,000 bonus from ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of the action absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video.
What's next for Tye Ruotolo?
While his twin brother Kade is scheduled to transition to mixed martial arts competition in June at ONE 167, Tye Ruotolo says he will wait and see how that goes before fully committing to the move.
The 21-year-old phenom remains optimistic he can make his own MMA debut later in the year. For now, Ruotolo is content with absolutely decimating anyone ONE Championship puts in the Circle with him.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on Tye Ruotolo's next fight.