ONE Championship: “I know jiu-jitsu more than anyone”- Tye Ruotolo says desire to feel like a white belt again fuels his MMA drive

Reigning and undisputed ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo of the United States is euphoric after his hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Canadian rival Dante Leon last weekend.

Ruotolo successfully retained his gold with a gutsy performance against Leon at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video, and after the fight, he declared himself as the best in the world, alongside twin brother Kade.

Speaking to the media at the ONE Fight Night 31 on Prime Video post-event presser, Ruotolo told the world's largest martial arts organization:

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"You know, we were training at a high level from when we were sh*ting our diapers. I feel like I know jiu-jitsu more than anyone, in the most humble way possible."

After his latest title defense, Ruotolo now shifts his focus to the all-encompassing sport of mixed martial arts, as he works towards making his MMA debut in ONE Championship.

ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video was broadcast live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand last Saturday, May 3rd. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Tye Ruotolo rates his performance against Dante Leon: "I kind of smashed him pretty good"

Despite not getting the submission over Dante Leon at ONE Fight Night 31 on Prime Video, Tye Ruotolo still gave himself a pretty good rating.

He took home a unanimous decision victory over the Canadian to retain his ONE welterweight submission grappling world title last weekend.

Ruotolo told ONE Championship:

"Out of ten, I’d maybe give it a six or seven. I felt like I kind of smashed him pretty good, but I didn’t get the sub. That’s what I always come to do."

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Tye Ruotolo's next fight.

About the author

Dan is an MMA writer with 10+ years of overall experience. Before his ongoing tenure at Sportskeeda, Dan got the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport by contributing to ONE Championship and Fight Game Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Dan’s connection to MMA started during the early days of the UFC and ONE Championship. He previously practiced boxing and ranks Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Fedor Emelianenko as the top five MMA fighters of all time.

He has covered several events onsite and on the ground for ONE Championship and hopes to continue doing so. He ensures that he churns out accurate articles by citing only legitimate sources and getting firsthand accounts through exclusive interviews whenever required.

Dan feels MMA fighter pay seems like an issue because it often gets compared to what fighters earn in boxing but that MMA will eventually catch up in the future.

His other interests include soccer and video games.

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Edited by C. Naik