"Anyone care to see this fight with hybrid BJJ/MMA rule set?" - Tye Ruotolo on Garry Tonon ahead of ONE 157 grappling bout

Tye Ruotolo is set to make his ONE Championship debut at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot on May 20, and he’s already playing with an idea for a future match.

On Instagram, Ruotolo shared a series of photos of him taking down his sparring partner on the mats, saying that he’s getting better every day.

Tye Ruotolo said this in the caption:

“With each day that passes I become closer to the person my opponent will fear the most. May 20th it’s on, I finally get the pleasure to fight Gary Tonon @onechampionship. Anyone care to see this fight with hybrid Bjj/MMA rule set?”

Mixed rules bouts have been a hot topic for fighters in ONE Championship following Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Demetrious Johnson’s clash at ONE X. Considering that both fighters had no prior experience professionally in their opponent’s sport, they put on an incredible show for everyone.

It also inspired a number of fighters to participate in such matches, as it allows them a taste of a different sport without making a full transition just yet. It appears that Ruotolo is one of those who was inspired by the format.

Garry Tonon made a successful transition to MMA, collecting five straight wins in the Circle and climbing the ranks to challenge ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le for his crown earlier this year.

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Tye Ruotolo to make his ONE Championship debut at ONE 157

By joining ONE Championship, Tye Ruotolo has a chance to compete in multiple disciplines of martial arts. However, he will first showcase his skills in the sport that put him on the map - submission grappling.

Taking on a legend of the sport like Garry Tonon is certainly a tough task for anyone. Claiming victory on such a big stage will only shoot the 19-year-old’s reputation to the moon.

Like many before him, Ruotolo could consider making the transition to MMA in the future. It could come sooner though, especially after measuring his skills against Tonon, who has competed in both sports.

With his grappling skills at such a young age though, it’s entirely possible for the young Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy to follow in the footsteps of Tonon and Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida, among others.