“I hope Adrian’s okay” - Tye Ruotolo shows concern for fallen opponent Adrian Lee at ONE Fight Night 35

The sportsmanship that defines martial arts was on full display when Tye Ruotolo immediately shifted his focus to check on his defeated opponent following their lightweight MMA thriller at ONE Fight Night 35.

Ruotolo, a ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion, delivered everything he promised when he stepped into mixed martial arts competition for the first time.

He submitted the previously undefeated Singaporean-American prospect with a rear-naked choke at 4:14 of the second round inside Bangkok's legendary Lumpinee Stadium.

The victory validated Ruotolo's bold transition from pure grappling to MMA while ending Lee's perfect 3-0 professional record in devastating fashion.

Rather than instantly savoring his triumph, the California native expressed concern for his fallen opponent during his post-fight exchange with color commentator Mitch Chilson.

"Yeah. It's so hard, but so fun. I feel super blessed to come out healthy, and I hope Adrian's okay — I hope he's not too injured. And what a fight. Thank you so much," Tye Ruotolo shared.

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Tye Ruotolo stuns Lee for a dream start in MMA

Tye Ruotolo's hotly anticipated debut against the Singaporean-American phenom lived up to every bit of the pre-fight hype, with both fighters throwing caution to the wind from the opening bell.

The first round featured action across all areas of the discipline, with both superstars getting into tight exchanges on the feet and the canvas that impressed the Lumpinee Stadium faithful.

Round two got off to another fiery start, but Ruotolo's world-class grappling credentials took over shortly after. From there, it was a matter of plotting the perfect path to victory.

The 22-year-old ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion demonstrated why he's considered one of the planet's most dangerous submission artists by locking in the fight-ending choke that forced Lee to tap.

His quick night out at ONE Fight Night 35 also earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus. Ruotolo's overall slate in the promotion now stands at 9-0, eight of his previous wins coming in submission grappling.