Tye Ruotolo shares update on possible match-up with Nicholas Meregali

Twenty-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy Tye Ruotolo hopes that he can one day share the stage with IBJJF world champion Nicholas Meregali under the ONE Championship banner.

Ruotolo was recently in attendance at ONE Fight Night 11 earlier this month, cornering his brother and reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo en route to another successful world title defense against 121-win veteran Tommy Langaker. Ahead of the event, Tye Ruotolo spoke about his own potential return to the Circle and who it could be against.

Enter Nicholas Meregali, a decorated BJJ black belt, and three-time world champion who happens to hold a victory over Ruotolo. Speaking on the possibility of Meregali signing with the promotion for a rematch, Ruotolo said:

“Yeah, I don't know if they signed it. Definitely, we're going to do maybe like a one-off deal,” Ruotolo said at a pre-fight press event. “I'm not really too sure. That's a good question. I don't know either.”

As it turns out, Nicholas Meregali has already answered Tye Ruotolo’s call out and accepted his challenge. ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong confirmed in a previous interview that he is in the process of ironing out details with Meregali to make the matchup happen.

Ruotolo and Meregali previously met on the mat during the 2022 ADCC. Meregali was awarded the victory via the referee’s decision. Needless to say, Tye Ruotolo is determined to even the score, and it sounds like he may get that chance sooner rather than later.

If you missed any of the action or just want to relive one of the most epic nights in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 11 replay can be watched anytime on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.