Ruotolo challenges for ONE welterweight title in just his third MMA fight

Tye Ruotolo will challenge for the ONE Championship welterweight title in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday — just his third professional MMA fight — when he faces two-division champion Christian Lee.

The 22-year-old built his reputation on the grappling circuit, collecting titles at IBJJF Worlds, WNO, and ONE’s own grappling division, before following his brother Kade into MMA under the ONE banner. He has been flawless so far, submitting both opponents by rear-naked choke in 2025, including a first-round finish of the previously 6-0 Shozo Isojima.

“Transitioning to MMA, it’s definitely been a big job,” Ruotolo told MMA Fighting. “It’s been learning a lot of things that I didn’t know. Kind of feel like a white belt again in some ways. But the whole process, it’s not something that I’ve been unhappy with. It’s something that I’ve loved.”

Ruotolo’s debut opponent was Adrian Lee, the younger brother of the champion he now faces — a deliberate choice, he says, to test himself against credible opposition from the outset. The rapid ascent to a title shot was always the plan.

“I always told Chatri [Sityodtong], I always told my brother that I don’t want to have a million MMA matches,” Ruotolo said. “I want to fight the best in the world. I don’t want to fight people I know I can win. I don’t want to fight the taxi cab drivers. I want to fight the best in the world.”

He drew inspiration from fellow jiu-jitsu practitioners who made the crossover successfully, citing Marcus Buchecha, Rodolfo Vieira, and Gilbert Burns as proof the transition can work at the highest level. Ruotolo has also faced MMA fighters in grappling competition before, defeating Reinier de Ridder, Marat Gafurov, and Vagner Rocha on the mats.

Christian Lee, however, represents a significant step up in MMA-specific experience. The champion has been submitted only once in his career — a 2016 defeat to Martin Nguyen — and Ruotolo is under no illusions about what to expect on Friday.

“I think he’s going to try and get me out of there pretty quickly,” Ruotolo said. “It’s his goal. I think he wants to come in and throw big kicks and big punches and try to end the fight in the first round. I noticed he has a very high pace and he comes forward.”

A victory would make Ruotolo one of the fastest rising title-holders in ONE Championship history and add another chapter to a grappling-to-MMA transition story that is already drawing comparisons to the sport’s most celebrated crossovers.