Tye and Kade Ruotolo are something very special in the world of martial arts.
The 21-year-old twin brothers from the United States have been considered prodigies from a young age, but turning that promise into performance is something we don’t always see.
However, after a little over a decade of dominance on the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu scene, the list of accomplishments for both men is almost unparalleled.
Both are undefeated at 5-0 in their ONE Championship careers, with Tye holding the welterweight submission grappling world title, and Kade the lightweight version of the crown.
On a global scale, Tye is the youngest grappler ever to reach the semi finals of the prestigious ADCC – he did so in 2019 aged just 16. Kade went a little better in 2022 becoming the youngest ever winner of the ADCC world championship in the 77kg division.
This is an elite level of success rarely seen by one fight, for two it is simply unheralded.
And the pair return to the ring this weekend at ONE Fight Night 21.
Tye will be the co-main event at the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, when he puts his title on the line against Australia’s Izaak Mitchell. This will be the 25-year-old’s ONE Championship debut, but don’t let that fool you. His experience and BJJ education is vast having trained under some of the world’s most respected coaches, and tested his skills against multiple IBJJF world champions over the course of the last decade.
For Kade, a different challenge awaits – this time in the form of a catchweight battle with the dangerous submission specialist Francisco Lo.
A Pan-American no-gi champion, and US national champion in the gi, Lo moved to the US from his native Brazil and has built a reputation for his aggressive style – earning his BJJ black belt two years ago.
Ruolto is relishing the opportunity this ONE Championship debutant will offer.
“Honestly, what excites me is his last solid win,” said Kade. “I saw him get a submission win over [ADCC Trials winner] Jacob Couch, and he beat some high-level guys. And I’ve seen that win over [ADCC Trials winner] William Tackett, and he has some solid wins under his belt.
“He’s, for the most part, a submission-based, submission-oriented fighter. He throws some crazy subs out there, and I just think it will be a very fun and intriguing matchup.”
ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas takes place Saturday April 6 4am GST at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Bangkok. This is an event not to be missed so mark your calendars, tune in to the fight on BeIN Sports, download the ONE Super App, and go to watch.onefc.com now!
