“It feels like you're hardly working” – Tye Ruotolo on jiu-jitsu being ingrained in his daily life

American martial artist Tye Ruotolo has made a successful career doing jiu-jitsu. However, it hardly feels like work for him as it has been greatly ingrained in his daily life.

The 20-year-old Atos standout recently added ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion to his growing list of accomplishments. He achieved it in his last fight in November, where he got the better of Russian Magomed Abdulkadirov by unanimous decision.

Speaking on the The Fighter and The Kid podcast, Tye Ruotolo shared how jiu-jitsu has given back a lot to him for all the efforts he has poured in. He said:

“Yeah, it was all about being focused. It was. What's the saying, ‘It feels like you're hardly working but you're working hard.’ That's what it was our whole lives, like it just felt like part of life going to jiu-jitsu and that's why we were homeschooled.”

Check out what he had to say below:

Tye Ruotolo seeks to continue with his successful submission grappling campaign under ONE Championship when he defends his world title for the first time at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.

He will be challenged by ONE-debuting Izaak Michell of Australia. Apart from retaining his world title, the California-based champion is out to extend his undefeated run in the promotion, which currently stands at five straight.

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Tye Ruotolo one of six current world champions at ONE 166: Qatar

Tye Ruotolo is not the only world champion featured at ONE Championship’s debut live on-ground event in Qatar. He will be joining five others in the main card.

Slated to see action at ONE 166: Qatar is ONE middleweight MMA world champion Reinier de Ridder, who will defend his title against double ONE world champion Anatoly Malykhin in the headlining contest.

It will be a rematch between the two big fighters after their first encounter in December 2022, when de Ridder lost the ONE light heavyweight world title to Malykhin by knockout in the opening round.

Speaking of rematch, ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks of the United States will make his first title defense against the man he took the title from in December 2022, Joshua Pacio of the Philippines.

Featherweight MMA king Tang Kai of China, meanwhile, will try to unify the belts in the division in his unification fight against interim world champion Thanh Le.

Then there is atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex, who will defend her world title against friend and former teammate Denice Zamboanga of the Philippines.

ONE 166: Qatar will happen on March 1 at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail.