Tye Ruotolo explains why he no longer relies on his guard game against world-class competition: “It's important to be on top”

BJJ sensation Tye Ruotolo always enjoys the opportunity to use his strong guard game. However, having competed against the best in the world, he knows how important it is to control his opposition from the top.

On November 3, Ruotolo will have an opportunity to etch his name in the history books as he is set to square off against Russian standout Magomed Abdulkadirov. The winner will emerge as the first-ever ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion.

Before the two men step inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Tye Ruotolo sat down with The MMA Superfan to talk about his progression as a submission specialist.

“So my brother and I, we've always liked to take down, pass, and submit, and we did play a good guard game back in the day, but we realized at this top level, it's important to be on top, you know to take down, pass and submit,” Ruotolo said.

Tye Ruotolo rides into the Mecca of Muay Thai with four straight wins under the ONE Championship banner, including submission victories over ‘The Lion Killer’ Garry Tonon, former ONE featherweight world champion Marat Gafurov, and most recently, lightweight contender Dagi Arslanaliev. Next, he’ll attempt to add a two-time UWW world grappling champion to his hit list.

Ruotolo’s ONE Fight Night 16 opponent, Magomed Abdulkadirov, may not be a well-known name to fight fans around the world. However, the well-rounded martial artist is determined to prove that he belongs at the top with some of the biggest names in BJJ.

Will Abdulkadirov shock the world and claim ONE Championship gold, or will Tye Ruotolo reach the top of the mountain alongside his brother and current world champion, Kade Ruotolo?

Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch all the action at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video live in U.S. primetime on November 3.