At this point in his career, Tye Ruotolo is of the mindset that he must either win big or pack it in.
After a successful middleweight bout against ‘The Dutch Knight’ Reinier de Ridder at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III, the American superstar is looking for his next major adversary. Johnson vs. Moraes III was held on December 10, 2017.
Tye is already contemplating his next move, and he is considering a handful of names that have the potential to bring a significant amount of attention back to the competitive circle.
In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, he discussed the following two possible opponents:
“I want to go back into that room as soon as it is safe for me to do so. Right now, I’m going over things, and we’re now doing some game planning for my next opponents. I have this thing where I want to take on the most difficult project that is even remotely achievable. Therefore, I would like to get Nicholas Meregali and Gordon Ryan. And if they aren’t available, I’ll have to find other males who are closer to my height and weight. Please make it less difficult, but other than that, I’m all set to go.”
Keep an eye out for Tye’s thoughts beginning at 1:00:
Since Tye’s twin brother, Kade Ruotolo, won the lightweight championship the year before, Tye has had an unquenchable desire to push the limits in order to avoid competing against his brother. To this point in his career, he has put his abilities to the test by competing in weight classes that are outside of his natural range and has had some measure of success in doing so.
Before facing off against Reinier de Ridder a month ago, Tye registered for the 2023 IBJJF World Championships with the intention of competing for the middleweight gold medal. He competed again while wearing the Gi, and despite facing up against some of the toughest grapplers in the division, including the eventual champion Jansen Gomes Ramos, he was able to advance far enough in the tournament to earn a bronze medal.
In spite of the fact that he was let down by the outcome, a victory over De Ridder couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for him. Tye is challenging the Brazilian phenom Nicholas Meregali, who, along with Gordon Ryan, is considered to be one of the top dogs to battle in the grappling scene. Tye is of the opinion that he is prepared to move up to the next level.
Stay up to current on any new information regarding Tye Ruotolo’s upcoming grappling match by checking in with Sportskeeda MMA.
