Unbeaten grappling champion Tye Ruotolo challenges for ONE lightweight title in just his third MMA fight

Christian Lee will put his ONE Championship lightweight title on the line against Tye Ruotolo at One: The Inner Circle 37 on November 6 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand — a bout that hands Ruotolo a world title shot in only his third professional MMA contest.

ONE Championship confirmed the matchup on Monday, pitting its two-division king Lee against Ruotolo, who currently holds the promotion’s welterweight submission grappling championship.

Lee arrives as a formidable champion. The 18-4 veteran has finished 13 opponents by knockout and four by submission, and has dropped just one of his last 11 bouts. His most recent outing came in November 2025, when he stopped Alibeg Rasulov with knees in the second round.

Ruotolo, by contrast, is barely a year into his MMA career. The 22-year-old is 2-0, with both victories arriving via rear-naked choke in 2025, and carries a 9-0 submission grappling record under the ONE banner into the fight. His grappling credentials are beyond question; the open question is whether two MMA bouts constitute sufficient preparation for a world title challenge against one of the promotion’s most decorated fighters.

The pairing is a deliberate stylistic collision: Lee’s well-rounded striking and finishing power against Ruotolo’s elite ground game and submission instincts. Should Ruotolo succeed, he would become one of the least experienced fighters ever to claim a major MMA world title.