Tye Ruotolo acknowledges Adrian Lee as a tremendous challenge in his MMA debut: “He's a tough kid for sure”

Reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo of the United States wanted to jump to the deep end right away in his mixed martial arts debut.

The Atos standout got his wish after he drew undefeated Singaporean-American prodigy Adrian Lee for his first foray in MMA at ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video.

Speaking ahead of this highly-awaited lightweight MMA showdown, Ruotolo acknowledged the significant challenge that awaits him at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sept. 5.

Ruotolo said on the Clocked N Loaded’s YouTube channel:

"Adrian, he's a tough kid for sure. You know, even when I first accepted the match, quite frankly, I knew he was tough."

Tye Ruotolo deliberately chose not to take an easy fight for his first foray into MMA. Instead, he wanted to challenge himself immediately against one of the lightweight division's fastest-rising stars.

The youngest IBJJF world champion faces the 19-year-old Singaporean-American sensation who carries a perfect 3-0 professional record.

Lee has dominated every opponent with first-round submissions, earning three consecutive US$50,000 performance bonuses.

Watch the full interview:

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Tye Ruotolo says he respects the Lee family legacy

Tye Ruotolo holds massive respect for Adrian Lee and the legendary lineage he comes from.

The 19-year-old stud is the youngest member of ONE Championship's most prominent fighting family. His siblings include reigning two-division MMA world champion Christian Lee and former atomweight MMA world champion Angela Lee.

During the same interview with Clocked N Loaded, Ruotolo acknowledged the impressive pedigree behind his opponent:

"Yeah, exactly. He comes from a sick fighting family. Pretty legendary, you know, got a lot of respect for the whole family. But, yeah, I want to beat the best as quickly as possible."

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can watch this explosive lightweight clash live in U.S. primetime for free.