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Reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo was literally built for grappling. Alongside his twin brother Kade, the pair has been training since before he could really understand what the sport even was.
Now, with both brothers sitting at the top of their respective divisions, Tye is reflecting on how far back the journey actually started:
"So, it was really kind of interesting," Tye told ONE Championship. "I never really understood why they wanted us to become jiu-jitsu fighters from such a young age, but that's what they wanted.
"So from three years old, Kade and I, we had the perfect training partner with each other. Yeah, I think just each other and our parents—we just had the recipe for success back then. I was super grateful to be in that position for sure."
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Tye Ruotolo lauds his parents’ foresight in starting him and twin brother Kade in jiu-jitsu early in their lives
It wasn’t just about talent or timing. Tye and Kade had structure, discipline, and each other. But more than anything, they had parents who saw the bigger picture long before anyone else did.
That kind of foresight, Tye Ruotolo says, made all the difference:
"Growing up, Kade and I never really had a chance or an option," he said. "My dad, before we were potty trained, he was wrestling around with us and making sure that we were going to be good jiu-jitsu fighters.
"It was really weird for our parents to have that kind of vision so young because there was no money in the sport or anything or really much opportunity like that."
The early start, paired with their now-famous drive and creativity, helped turn the Ruotolos into one of grappling’s most dominant forces.
On May 2, Tye Ruotolo will defend the ONE welterweight submission grappling world title from challenger and long-time rival Dante Leon. ONE Fight Night 31 takes place at 9 PM Eastern Time. Stream it live on Prime Video with an active subscription.
