After the unusual and puzzling conclusion to their grappling fight over the weekend, Tye Ruotolo and Dagi Arslanaliev continue to have a mutual respect for one another.
After all, the young Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prodigy, who is only 20 years old, submitted the Turkish superstar not once, but twice in the course of a single battle at ONE Fight Night 13.
Once Ruotolo twisted his way to Arslanaliev’s leg and locked in a horrific heel hook, fans and experts believed the match was over and declared it a victory for Ruotolo. The fighter, who was competing in the lightweight division of mixed martial arts and was rated second, gave Ruotolo a visible smack to the buttocks as a signal that he was giving up and surrendering.
The standout for Atos eventually released the hold, but he was baffled by the fact that the referee did not immediately end the match.
The killer instinct in Ruotolo took over, and he immediately pounced on Arslanaliev and took his back. He then submitted Arslanaliev for a second time by applying a rear naked choke.
Arslanaliev stated that he tapped out the first time, and he was startled that the referee missed his signal. This admission was made in a cordial conversation with Ruotolo on Instagram.
Later, the youngest IBJJF black belt world champion stated unequivocally that he is on good terms with the dreaded knockout artist:
“You know, after the match, he looked at me and he said, ”I’m sorry brother.” [laughs] “You know what? It’s cool, bro; don’t be concerned about a thing. He stated this in an interview he gave after the OFN13 event to the South China Morning Post. “It’s all love,” he remarked.
With the victory, Tye Ruotolo maintained his undefeated record as a member of the ONE Championship organization and received an additional cool $50,000 bonus bounty from the head honcho of ONE, Chatri Sityodtong.
In addition to that, he secured a chance for himself to compete for the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling belt in the process.
Ruotolo undoubtedly deserves the honors he claimed at ONE Fight Night 13, as it is not every day that you get the opportunity to finish your opponent twice in the same fight.
The full event can be rewatched for free, at any time, by Prime Video users in North America who are currently enrolled in the service.
