ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion, Tye Ruotolo of the United States, recalled the time he bested Gordon Ryan and forced him to tap.
According to the youngest IBJJF world champion, it happened during an intense training session in 2022.
The 22-year-old BJJ ace relived the moment while discussing his upcoming mixed martial arts debut against ‘The Phenom’ Adrian Lee at ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video, set to take place inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 5.
In a recent interview with Clocked N Loaded on YouTube, Tye Ruotolo explained how he was able to force Ryan to yield:
“I D’arc-ed him. Yeah, that same day he got me in a heel hook and I D’arc-ed him. I might have been told he got me in. But, yeah, I made him tap that day. It was in 2022, I think. I was trying to get the match going for a while, and then just making a bunch of posts, making like an online beef, like he usually does.”
Tye Ruotolo certainly has the skills to accomplish such a feat against arguably the most credentialed no-gi grappler of this generation. We’ve seen it time and time again in his remarkable run in ONE Championship.
The pair of elite grapplers has exchanged words online before, but it seems the rivalry has fizzled down in recent years.
Here’s the full interview:
Tye Ruotolo admits Adrian Lee will be a tough opponent to beat
Tye Ruotolo now shifts his full focus to his highly anticipated mixed martial arts debut.
The Atos standout will have a tough test in the form of 19-year-old Singaporean-American sensation Adrian Lee, who carries a perfect 3-0 professional record and 100 percent finishing rate.
During the same interview with Clocked N Loaded, Ruotolo acknowledged the formidable challenge that awaits him in his MMA acid test:
“I know for sure he’s going to know MMA very well, you know. He’s going to be a super formidable opponent.”
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can watch this explosive lightweight clash and the entire ONE Fight Night 35 card live in U.S. primetime for free.
