After defeating Jozef Chen at ONE Battle Night time 23, Tye Ruotolo spoke a couple of potential match in opposition to Nicholas Meregali.
Final Friday, July 5, at ONE Battle Night time 23, Tye Ruotolo picked up a hard-fought choice win over 19-year-old phenom Jozef Chen in a non-title submission grappling tilt.
Whereas neither athlete was capable of mount any critical submission assaults or safe a dominant place, Ruotolo earned the choice on the power of an early takedown and his aggressive, relentless guard move makes an attempt.
For Ruotolo, the choice victory extends his unblemished document in ONE to 7-0 and additional cements him as one of many sport’s high pound-for-pound opponents. It additionally bodes properly for his probabilities on the upcoming Craig Jones Invitational, the place he and Chen will each compete for the $1 million prize within the -80kg division.
After the match, Ruotolo spoke to the media about his efficiency. He says that accidents and sickness stored him from coaching at his fullest:
“I actually can simply sit right here and make a bunch of excuses. However simply inside my camp, I used to be sick for many of it. And even earlier than the combat, I actually was feeling a bit off. I’ve been going by a pair little neck issues. It has form of been affecting a bit of little bit of my nerve, the vagus nerve. I actually wasn’t feeling nice going into the match, however even on all my worst days, I simply gotta man up and get it accomplished, and that’s what I did. I’m stoked to get it accomplished, and in my subsequent efficiency, I can be higher. I’m going to go house and get in entrance of every little thing that might stop me from having a fantastic efficiency in my subsequent one. I’ll carry out how I’m purported to.”
When requested who he’d prefer to face subsequent, Ruotolo was fast to deliver up a rematch with multiple-time IBJJF world champion Nicholas Meregali. The pair met within the semifinals of absolutely the division on the 2022 ADCC World Championships, the place Meregali gained a slender and contentious choice.
Ruotolo says he’s been angling for a match with Meregali in ONE, however that match has but to come back to fruition:
“We’ve been attempting to get Meregali for a very long time. I assume he’s very tough to work with, I don’t know, however I simply assume he doesn’t actually wish to combat, to be trustworthy with you. The final time we fought, I had a number of torn ligaments in my knee. He was once fifty kilos heavier and I nonetheless alpha-checked him…again on the finish of the combat, you already know. In order that’s one which I actually wish to get again. I’ve acquired Meregali. It doesn’t actually matter, whoever ONE looks like they wish to put in entrance of me subsequent. I’m prepared for something.”
Whereas he’s not able to put grappling on the again burner, Ruotolo does have an curiosity in attempting his hand at MMA. His twin brother, Kade Ruotolo, lately made his profitable MMA debut:
“I can’t wait to do MMA, you already know, I’m so excited to go. I’ve been watching my brother’s final combat, it acquired me so fired up. It was so rad to see him. We at all times grew up watching MMA fights, and we at all times knew that we needed to be MMA fighters in the future, too, not simply [become] fighters, however one of the best. So I’m completely happy to get this win in jiu-jitsu. Yet one more for the legacy. My legacy just isn’t accomplished. I wish to be one of the best on the planet of jiu-jitsu. No questions, it doesn’t matter what. I do know I’m on my manner. I believe proper now, we’re most likely thought-about one of the best, my brother and I, for positive. However I wish to be pound-for-pound, one of the best on the planet. So I’m not going to cease till I get to that. However an MMA combat, that’s such an enormous factor for me, so I’m excited to be part of the race there too.”
