"I love jiu-jitsu" - Tye Ruotolo confirmes he will not leave submission grappling even after pro MMA debut

Tye Ruotolo has made it clear that his successful MMA debut at ONE Fight Night 35 won't signal the end of his submission grappling career, as the world champion plans to continue defending his belt while pursuing mixed martial arts opportunities.

The ONE welterweight submission grappling king opened his account in the discipline via a second-round rear-naked choke submission over Adrian Lee inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, earlier this month.

The demanding schedule of defending his crown in the submission grappling discipline, while building momentum in another, requires careful management of training camps, recovery periods, and competition calendars.

Few fighters successfully maintain elite-level performance across multiple combat disciplines simultaneously, but Tye Ruotolo seems geared up to give it a go.

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During the post-fight interview at ONE Fight Night 35, the Atos representative addressed his plans while emphasizing his continued passion for the sport that launched his professional career.

Tye Ruotolo told ONE Championship during the post-event press conference:

"I want to keep defending my belt for jiu-jitsu at the same time. I love jiu-jitsu and I'm not even close to ready to hang that up, so, yeah, I'll be doing both."

Watch his highlight-reel finish of Lee here:

The submission grappling specialist's win inside the Mecca of Muay Thai on September 5 also earned him another US$50,000 performance bonus. His overall promotional slate now stands at 9-0.

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Tye Ruotolo gives props to twin brother Kade for helping him ace dangerous MMA test

The ONE world champion acknowledged his twin brother, Kade Ruotolo, as the catalyst behind his successful debut in the discipline at ONE Fight Night 35.

In the same press conference, Tye Ruotolo admitted the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion pushed him to the limit to ensure he left no stone unturned to prepare for the previously undefeated Singaporean-American phenom.

"I think he was just so excited, and also, he's injured right now. So, he's almost like living vicariously through me, it feels like it, you know? But everything he has to say, whether he sees it or not, sometimes it seems like I'm brushing it off. But I take it all, you know, and he always has good advice for me for sure."

Kade's foray in MMA has been the stuff of dreams, too. The 22-year-old has raced to a 3-0 record with a trio of first-round submission finishes.

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Edited by Himakshu Vyas