Confidence has never been in short provide for ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo, and he’s carrying a lot of it into the hardest take a look at of his profession.
The American challenges two-division king Christian “The Warrior” Lee for the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title in the most important occasion of The Inner Circle 37, which goes down reside at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, November 6.
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Members of The Inner Circle can stream this Asia primetime card completely via reside.onefc.com.
Ruotolo’s observe file leaves little room for doubt.
The 23-year-old, who holds a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, is 9-0 in ONE Championship’s submission grappling marketing campaign. Moreover, he claimed the inaugural welterweight crown and defended it 3 times, most just lately against IBJJF No-Gi World Champion Pawel Jaworski.
His MMA run has been just as flawless, with rear-naked choke victories over Adrian “The Phenom” Lee in September 2025 and Shozo Isojima in November 2025, each incomes him a US$50,000 efficiency bonus. Now, he is prepared to end a mission he set in movement long in the past.
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Ruotolo instructed onefc.com:
“I called out Christian, and I was confident that I had the ability to beat him, and that was even prior to the Adrian Lee fight. Then I got the opportunity to fight Adrian, and I was able to prove my skills in that match.
“I know my MMA [skills] can get higher, and it will be higher all through this course of. I’m still younger in my profession. However, I’ve never requested for a combat I never thought that I could win, and I’m not one to chunk off more than I can chew.”
Photo Credit: ONE Championship
Much of that comes down to where he began.
Ruotolo first stepped onto the mats when he was just three years previous, studying the craft alongside his twin brother, ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo, who is also unbeaten in MMA competitors.
The Roots of Jiu Jitsu consultant mirrored:
“My brother and I have been martial artists our entire lives. I think when people see us, form of early into our MMA careers, they do not actually expect too much from us. But we have high expectations.
“I’ve used every day that passes as an opportunity to get better. I may have only had two MMA fights, but I truly feel if you put me on the other side of the ring with anybody close to my size, the odds of me ending the fight are very high.”
So far, both of his MMA foes have tapped out. But the man ready across from him at The Inner Circle 37 is a completely different beast altogether.
Lee grew to become the youngest male MMA World Champion in 2019 when he captured the light-weight gold. In 2022, “The Warrior” added the welterweight belt to become a two-division king. More impressively, 17 of his 18 wins came inside the distance, and he holds ONE Championship’s data for most wins, finishes, and first-round stoppages.
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Despite the repertoire the defending titleholder brings to the desk, Ruotolo believes he can usher in a new period and become the first ONE World Champion in both MMA and submission grappling.
He provided:
“It’s going to be a tough challenge. But I believe in myself, and as I said, I wouldn’t have asked for the match if I didn’t think I possessed all the skills necessary and the heart.
“It’s going to be a struggle. I do not think it’s going to be straightforward, but I think I’m going to depart with the belt around my waist, and it’s going to be a gnarly night time.”
Photo Credit: ONE Championship
Ruotolo Out To Rule Both Worlds
Victory on Friday would make Tye Ruotolo the newest member of ONE Championship’s exclusive two-sport World Champion club.
For the Californian, though, it’s about far more than hardware. MMA was always part of the plan when he and Kade signed with the world’s largest martial arts organization in 2022, and Friday night is where that vision comes to life.
He said:
“Winning the belt will imply a lot to me. It represents the alternative to bridge the hole from just being a jiu-jitsu [stylist] to being a full martial artist. It would imply the world to me.
“I’ve always considered myself a full martial artist, and I’ve always wanted to be the best in the world in both disciplines. So now, I get an opportunity to fight the best in the world at 170, and I’m very excited. I believe I have what it takes to become a true champion of both.”
As for how their most important occasion conflict at The Inner Circle 37 on November 6 will unfold, the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion knows precisely what he’s strolling into.
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Christian Lee has constructed his legacy on ending fights early, while Ruotolo has made a behavior of forcing faucets in both sports activities. Put those two kinds collectively under the brilliant lights of Lumpinee Stadium, and the California native is relishing what lies forward.
Ruotolo concluded:
“I’m excited to have an opportunity to face another exciting fighter. I believe we’re both going to go in, and pressure is going to meet pressure, and I’m sure there’s going to be some fireworks that come out of it.”
Photo Credit: ONE Championship
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