“I felt like I could really unleash” - Tye Ruotolo explains violent offense against Shozo Isojima

Reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo sensed opportunity and refused to let it slip away.

The 22-year-old extended his unblemished MMA record to 2-0 with a first-round rear-naked choke submission of previously undefeated Shozo Isojima at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, Nov. 16, inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena. That said, it was the violent striking barrage that preceded the finish that captured attention worldwide.

"I tried to get the match over as quick as possible. I definitely felt like I was a little bit sloppy for sure in my striking, you know, but I also felt like my opponent was on the back foot, you know, and I felt like I could really unleash," Tye Ruotolo told Nick Atkin in a post-fight interview.

Though he admitted his striking lacked technical polish, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt recognized that Isojima's defensive posture created openings for aggressive offense.

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From the opening bell, Ruotolo unloaded heavy knees, big hooks, and overhands with precision and power – combinations that left the 28-year-old Japanese judoka with little room to escape.

"Yeah, it was a great match. I was super stoked to get the win and yeah, all respect to Shozo, you know," he continued, acknowledging his opponent's toughness while celebrating his second consecutive finish in the all-encompassing discipline.

The victory earned Ruotolo another US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who congratulated him shortly after exiting the Circle with praise for making the dominant finish look easy against a dangerous opponent.

Watch Tye Ruotolo's full interview with Nick Atkin below:

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Tye Ruotolo wants to "get to the top" ASAP in MMA

During the post-fight exchange with Circle-side color commentator Mitch Chilson, Tye Ruotolo declared that he doesn't want to spend too much time scaling the MMA realm.

The 22-year-old wants to take on the best fights possible that will lead him to a dream world title matchup against lightweight and welterweight MMA king Christian Lee.

"I want to get to the top as soon as possible. You know, I always say I don't really plan on beating guys that I know I can beat. You know, I want to beat guys that really can be a challenge, and I'm excited to get to the top as quick as possible," the Tenore martial artist shared.

Fight fans who missed any of the action at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri can purchase the pay-per-view replay here.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak