Tye Ruotolo Wants To Fight Garry Tonon In MMA After BJJ Win: “I Think My Hands Are Better Too”
BJJ prodigy Tye Ruotolo has his eyes set on competing in the sport of mixed martial arts next.
Making his submission grappling debut in ONE Championship, Tye Ruotolo managed to tap out the legendary Garry Tonon at ONE Championship 157. In just two minutes of the contest, Ruotolo displayed an exhibition of superior movement before locking in a D’Arce choke to announce his presence in the promotion.
Tye Ruotolo steals the show
During a post-fight interview, Ruotolo spoke to the press about his plans for the future and touched on the idea of competing in MMA.
“My goal in jiu-jitsu right now is to just keep being the best version of myself, and to get to the title in jiu-jitsu and to the title in MMA is what my brother and I want to do as well. So we’ve got a lot of goals right now,” Ruotolo said.
“I just finished that match, so I really don’t know who I want next in jiu-jitsu. Maybe an MMA debut. My brother and I are really scratching for that. I’m really down to fight anybody in the world. Big, small, I’m ready to go.” (h/t SCMP)
Hinting at returning to competition in MMA instead of BJJ, Tye Ruotolo expanded on the possibility.
“Garry Tonon would be fun for the fans for sure. He’s 6-1 in MMA. He just came off a title fight, and I don’t know if Chatri [Sityodtong, ONE CEO] would let me debut [against] Garry Tonon. I had dinner with him the other night, I think he kind of seemed interested in the idea.
“That would be really cool. After my performance tonight I kind of deserve it. In jiu-jitsu I proved I’m better than him, in the most humble way possible, and I think that my hands are better than his too, just being realistic. So I’d love to fight him in MMA.”
Along with Tye, his twin brother Kade Ruotolo also made his debut in the promotion on the same night. Kade dominated his way against the Japanese veteran Shinya Aoki to grab a decision win.
If the Ruotolo brothers BJJ abilities are any indication, they may be looking at a flourishing MMA career ahead. A lot depends on how ONE CEO Sityodtong plans to carry them in the organization and will likely give them a shot in MMA if an agreement is reached.
How do you think the Ruotolo brothers would fare in MMA?
