“We’d grapple each other” - Tye Ruotolo reveals his parents always put him and twin Kade in different divisions during events
Tye Ruotolo explained why he and his twin brother, Kade Ruotolo, compete in different weight classes.
The Ruotolo brothers, aged 22, have taken over the ONE Championship submission grappling landscape. Tye is a two-time welterweight world champion, while Kade is a four-time lightweight world champion.
During an interview with Combat Sports Today, Tye revealed his parents placed them in different grappling divisions when they were kids:
"We'd grapple each other every day at home. In competitions, when we were younger, my parents would always move us up in a weight class, so that way we wouldn't have to be in the same division."
Kade Ruotolo started his ONE Championship tenure with a 6-0 submission grappling record, including two finishes. The lightweight king has since prioritized MMA, securing three consecutive submissions to launch his transition.
Meanwhile, Tye Ruotolo has only competed in submission grappling. The welterweight world champion holds a promotional record of 7-0, including four wins inside the distance. He now looks to overcome arguably his toughest test yet.
Watch Ruotolo's entire interview with Combat Sports Today below:
Tye Ruotolo looks to extend ONE title run against Dante Leon
On May 2, Tye Ruotolo will put his welterweight submission grappling world title and undefeated promotional record on the line. The American superstar's upcoming opponent for the ONE Fight Night 31 co-main event is Dante Leon.
Leon, aged 29, has fought in ONE Championship twice, defeating Bruno Pucci by armbar and Tommy Langaker by unanimous decision. Following his latest win on January 10, Leon called for an opportunity to challenge Tye or Kade for a title.
Ruotolo has secured several world-class wins in ONE against Izaak Michell, Jozef Chen, and Garry Tonon. The 22-year-old could be facing his toughest promotional challenge thus far due to Leon's physical attributes.
ONE Fight Night 31 goes down inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The May 2 event can be seen live and for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
The upcoming main event features a non-title flyweight Muay Thai bout between Kongthoranee and former bantamweight champion Nong-O. They first fought on February 7, with Kongthoranee winning by split decision.