Tye Ruotolo to make MMA debut against Adrian Lee
Submission grappling phenom Tye Ruotolo will make his MMA debut against the undefeated Adrian Lee at ONE Fight Night 35 on September 5, 2025.
Current ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo will soon join his twin brother, Kade Ruotolo, in transitioning from grappling to MMA.
On September 5, at ONE Fight Night 35 in Bangkok, Thailand, Tye Ruotolo will make his long-awaited professional MMA debut when he takes on undefeated rising talent Adrian Lee in a lightweight (170 pounds) tilt.
Recognized by many as one of grappling’s top pound-for-pound competitors, Ruotolo instantly becomes one of MMA’s most promising prospects. After a decorated juvenile career, the Californian first made waves at the professional level when, at just 16 years old, he placed fourth at the ADCC World Championships. He has since gone on to add an IBJJF gi world title at black belt and a Who’s Number One title.
In 2022, he made his ONE Championship debut with a lightning-fast submission win over veteran star Garry Tonon. Ruotolo has maintained a perfect record in ONE, and in 2023, he claimed the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world title with a decision victory over ADCC veteran Magomed Abdulkadirov. He has subsequently scored impressive wins in ONE over Izaak Michell, Jozef Chen, and Dante Leon to cement himself as a pound-for-pound powerhouse.
Ruotolo’s opponent, Lee, carries a fair amount of hype, as well. As the younger brother to current two-division ONE MMA world champion Christian Lee and former ONE MMA world champion Angela Lee, the 19-year-old comes from a championship pedigree and boasts a wealth of high-level MMA training experience.
After a solid amateur MMA career, Lee made his professional debut in June of last year with a second-round submission win and has since picked up a pair of first-round submission victories, all under the ONE banner.
Stylistically, Lee certainly has more striking experience than the debuting Ruotolo. However, through his three professional bouts, Lee has tended to rely on his wrestling and submission skills to get the job done – the one area in which Ruotolo will almost certainly hold a significant advantage.
How to watch: Tye Ruotolo vs. Adrian Lee takes place on Friday, September 5, 2025, at ONE Fight Night 35 in Bangkok, Thailand, and will air live on Prime Video (free with Amazon Plus subscription) beginning at 9:00 PM EST. Fans can go to Flashscore for Live MMA Results.
