“I don’t think anyone around my size can beat me” - Tye Ruotolo says he’s the planet’s best pound-for-pound grappler

Tye Ruotolo isn’t short on confidence heading into the biggest fight of his career.

The young Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard will face Magomed Abdulkadirov for the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world title in the co-main event at ONE Fight Night 16 on November 3 at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Heading into his career-defining world title match, Ruotolo expressed his brimming attitude in an interview with ONE Championship.

Ruotolo said:

“I don’t think anyone around my size can beat me, and I think I can beat guys way bigger than me, too. So pound-for-pound [best],100 percent.”

Ruotolo, who started his ONE Championship career at lightweight, has become the promotion’s de facto open weight submission grappling menace.

The 2022 IBJJF world champion is a perfect 4-0 in the promotion with his debut match against BJJ legend Garry Tonon the only bout he’s fought at 170 pounds.

After submitting Tonon at ONE 157, Ruotolo bumped up and submitted former ONE featherweight MMA world champion Marat Gafurov at ONE on Prime Video 5.

Ruotolo then bulked up further when he beat Dutch grappling master and reigning ONE middleweight MMA world champion Reinier de Ridder at ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver.

The 20-year-old then went back to 180 pounds and submitted lightweight MMA monster Dagi Arslanaliev in a catchweight match at ONE Fight Night 13 this August.

With such a varied resume Ruotolo’s unbridled confidence does have its merits. He’ll put that bravado to the test, though, when he takes on Abdulkadirov in Bangkok.

ONE Fight Night 16 is ONE Championship’s 11th Amazon card of the year and is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.