“I’m just so blessed to be here” - Tye Ruotolo looks back on successful pro MMA debut in ONE Championship

ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo kicked off a new chapter in his martial arts journey inside the hallowed grounds of the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, last Friday, September 5.

After amassing an 8-0 run, alongside multiple world title defenses in his preferred discipline, his dream of transitioning to MMA took off against undefeated Singaporean-American sensation Adrian Lee at ONE Fight Night 35.

Though many questions had to be answered, whether he could add different facets to his game or how he'd be able to deal with someone of Lee's caliber, Ruotolo seemed to have a response to it all.

The 22-year-old showcased some of the striking tricks that he'd been honing alongside his twin brother, Kade, and mixed it well to force the Prodigy Training Center to tap via a rear-naked choke at 4:14 of the second stanza.

He was on cloud nine during the event's post-fight press conference in the Thai capital.

Tye Ruotolo said:

"I’m so stoked. This is everything I could be hoping for, everything I could be wishing for. This is it. That’s the best corner in the world."

He further continued by saying:

"I love being here. When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, you know? So I’m just so blessed to be here. So stoked."

North American fans can watch the entire ONE Fight Night 35 card via replay for free on Amazon Prime Video.

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Tye Ruotolo and Kade are well on their way to greatness in MMA

Tye Ruotolo, of course, isn't the only Ruotolo seeking MMA glory on the global stage of ONE Championship.

The ONE lightweight submission grappling king Kade has enjoyed a dream start in the all-encompassing discipline with three successive first-round finishes against Blake Cooper, Ahmed Mujtaba, and Nicolas Vigna.

Looking at how things had gone for the Ruotolos in MMA thus far, it shouldn't take them too long to conquer arguably one of the toughest sports out there.

With determination, discipline, and unmatched fire to become complete martial artists, it's safe to say Tye and Kade could be on to big things in the sport with more experience under their belts.