Tye Ruotolo, the ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion at 185 lbs (84 kg), is making waves in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA simultaneously. With an undefeated 2-0 record in mixed martial arts and a world title to defend he is proving that excellence in multiple disciplines is achievable with the right approach and dedication.
In a recent interview, Ruotolo opened up about his MMA debut against Adrian Lee, a performance that showcased his evolving skill set beyond the mats.
“Man, I felt everything went according to plan, you know,” Ruotolo reflected on the bout. “Uh felt a little bit sloppy in my jiu-jitsu, you know. First one, it’s funny, you know, that’s my thing, my specialty, and is the one place I felt sloppy, you know, but uh yeah, other than that, everything went according to plan.”
The self-critique reveals Ruotolo’s perfectionist mindset, even after securing a second-round submission win. His striking particularly impressed observers, with visible improvement between his first and second MMA appearances.
“Feel good in the Adrian match. I don’t think maybe I got hit once, but yeah, I feel like I landed ( ) majority of the punches I I threw and yeah, I felt good on the feet for sure,” he said. “Yeah, didn’t feel like I was missing a beat and felt like I was in control.”
When asked about balancing his dual pursuits, Ruotolo did not shy away from the ambitious nature of his goals.
“Oh man, that’s a super tough question. Uh, being number one in grappling and making sure that there’s nobody that can beat me. My size is number one for sure. And and and getting the belt in MMA is now pretty much one of my biggest biggest goals for sure. No question. So yeah, I got a lot on the plate, you know. So yeah, a lot of work to do.”
The champion’s approach involves strategic planning and an understanding that both disciplines can complement each other. His brother Kade Ruotolo‘s guidance has been invaluable throughout the transition.
“Uh, so much, man. I couldn’t tell you all of it. you know, he never he never stopped talking, but uh it was all good stuff,” Ruotolo said about his brother’s corner advice.
Looking ahead, Ruotolo plans to defend his submission grappling title on March 13 before returning to MMA competition.
“I think I’ll be grateful to be able to defend my belt and then I’m going to be looking to move to MMA again,” he stated.
Despite having already conquered much of the grappling world before turning 23, Ruotolo’s motivation remains high.
“I don’t think there’s I can ever win enough, you know, in jiu-jitsu, you know, and honestly, there’s a few titles that I still haven’t gotten that I that I need to take for sure,” he explained.
Early in Tye Ruotolo’s fight with Adrian Lee he dropped on a single leg
Then he reached for the far hip and gave Lee an uchimata
Instead of abandoning the position Tye used coyote half guard to hold the leg, torque Lee’s knee, and wrestle up
Then he slammed Lee to the floor pic.twitter.com/PUiyBG6IzN
— Open Note Grappling (@OpenNoteGrapple) September 8, 2025
