“He’s as good as they come” – Izaak Michell stacks praise on Tye Ruotolo before they collide for grappling gold at ONE Fight Night 21

Newcomer Izaak Michell knows he's in for a very tough test when he makes his ONE Championship debut against one of the best grapplers in the world.

Emanating from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, ONE Friday Fights 21 on Prime Video will feature the return of reigning and defending ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo, who puts his belt on the line against the Aussie BJJ standout.

Looking ahead to his world title clash with one-half of the world-famous Ruotolo brothers, Michell shared his thoughts on what makes his opponent so dangerous.

"Obviously, he ranked number one in the world at 185, so he's as good as they come," Michell told ONE Championship in a recent interview. "So, I guess what he does well, he's very aggressive, but at the same time, he can change his intensity and be smooth and he's not afraid to do anything that comes up."

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Izaak Michell is ready to shock the world against Tye Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 21

Training since the age of 16, Izaak Michell has honed his skills under a slew of BJJ legends, including Lloyd Irvin, Renzo Gracie, and John Danaher. Along the way, he has earned a laundry list of accolades — chief among them being his performance at the 2021 IBJJF World Championships where he took first place as a brown belt.

A year later, he won gold at the ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials and topped the podium at the 2022 Who’s Next Tournament.

With wins over IBJJF world champions Jansen Gomes and Roberto Jimenez, Michell is more than experienced when it comes to rolling with some of the biggest names in the game. But with all due respect to his past opponents, Izaak Michell has never faced an opponent as lethal as Tye Ruotolo.

Will Michell shock the world and win ONE Championship gold in his premiere performance, or will Tye Ruotolo add another notable name to his growing hit list?

Fans in North America can watch ONE Fight Night 21 live and for free on Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, April 5.