ONE Championship: "Fighting the big boys is really fun" - Tye Ruotolo embraces challenge to face bigger opponents

ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo has a preference for competing against bigger opponents than himself because he thinks that fighting an athlete of his size is easier to do. Ruotolo claimed this during his recent appearance on the JitsMagazine YouTube channel and said that whenever he goes up against bigger opponents, he feels more challenged:

"It's always easier fighting people your size for sure, but fighting the big boys is really fun. I have a lot of fun doing it. I got nothing to lose and I like testing myself against anyone."

Watch Tye Ruotolo's interview here:

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This certainly helped the 22-year-old BJJ phenom in his professional career, as he's now one of the most renowned submission artists in the world, and has no problem joining the heavier weight classes whenever he joins various competitions and tournaments.

Currently, Ruotolo is on the tail-end of his preparation against Dante Leon, whom he'll face in a championship showdown for his 26-pound golden belt on May 2 for the co-headliner of ONE Fight Night 31 inside Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand.

Tye Ruotolo shares his routine before competing in high-stake fights under the bright lights of ONE Championship

Like any other athlete fighting on the global stage, the Atos representative feels the nerves of performing under the world's largest martial arts organization. But the doesn't let it get to his system.

In fact, Tye Ruotolo even shared his fight day routine to calm his nerves and he revealed it during his pre-fight interview with ONE Championship:

"I was going through whatever stresses and stuff. I realized I had to go stand outside. I put my feet in a planter box outside the warm-up area. Outisde, the building, I was looking up at the sun. I was trying to relax."

North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can watch all the action at ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2, which will take place inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

About the author

Anatoly is an MMA writer with six years of experience. He covers ONE Championship at Sportskeeda, where he has contributed over 1000 pieces. He previously served as the lead MMA writer for BetMGM’s blog.

Anatoly holds a bachelor's degree in communication, which he feels has had a significant impact on his career.

Jon Jones’ submission win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in 2011 got him hooked to MMA. His favorite fighters include Eduard Folayang, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Anatoly provides Sportskeeda with exclusive pieces and has previously interviewed the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion, Adriano Moraes. While writing his pieces, he follows an extensive research process, referring only to credible sources like the UFC’s official website, Sherdog, and ESPN. He also likes to provide insights to his readers by keeping in mind important pillars of communication like media literacy and audience dynamics.

Anatoly advocates for a healthy and fit lifestyle by including boxing in his routine. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Krishna Venki