Tye Ruotolo says his impressive striking in MMA debut comes from training with Superbon: “I felt sharp”

Witnessing how Superbon does his magic in training has left a lasting impression on ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo.

The youngest IBJJF world champion notched a remarkable mixed martial arts debut at ONE Fight Night 35 earlier this month, where he rendered Adrian Lee unconscious with a rear-naked choke.

But before that highlight-reel submission, Ruotolo also more than held his own in the striking department, landing lean punches, sharp elbows, and effective kicks.

Prior to making his MMA transition, Ruotolo, along with his twin brother Kade, spent time training with ONE featherweight kickboxing kingpin Superbon.

In his post-event interview with Nick Atkin, Ruotolo said that the brief time at Superbon Training Camp was highly beneficial.

He used some of the tricks he learned from Superbon in his own training camp in America:

"Yeah, definitely. The inspiration probably comes from Superbon. But yeah, I got my coaches, Tyler Wombles and Eric Paulson, who are getting me sharp. You know, I've been sharpening the blade for a while. And yeah, I'm happy to be able to use it tonight. I felt sharp."

The replay of ONE Fight Night 35 is now available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Watch the full interview:

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Tye Ruotolo reveals lofty MMA aspirations

Tye Ruotolo knew beating a highly touted young star like Adrian Lee would send shockwaves through the MMA scene.

The Atos standout is glad to send a message and expects even stiffer challenges coming up.

Ruotolo expects nothing less, since he wants the fastest route to challenge two-division MMA world champion Christian Lee.

"I don't really care to have a whole bunch of fights in my MMA career whatsoever. I don't care to beat on guys that I know I can beat. I want to have a short road to the top. And, yeah, so whoever's next, who's going to get me to the belt, that's what I want next," he said.