‘I Want To Be Like A Wild Cat’ – Inside Tye Ruotolo’s Adventurous Dream Of Conquering Survival Reality TV
Most fighters spend their downtime resting their bodies and unplugging from the combat sports scene, but reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo fills his with the next pulse-pounding thrill.
That unquenchable thirst for adrenaline now follows him into the defining test of his MMA evolution.
On Friday, November 6, the American star will challenge two-division king Christian “The Warrior” Lee for the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title at The Inner Circle 37. The event streams exclusively for members on live.onefc.com from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
Courting danger has been a way of life for Ruotolo since early childhood.
Raised in Huntington Beach, California, alongside his twin brother and ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo, he began Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at three years old and spent every free hour riding waves on a surfboard and grinding rails on a skateboard.
That fearless streak followed him into his MMA transition. Ruotolo has authored back-to-back finishes in his first two appearances, most notably choking out Christian’s younger brother, Adrian “The Phenom” Lee, in his debut back in September 2025.
Between training camps and adrenaline-fueled hobbies, life on the go leaves little room for the simple comforts most people enjoy. But lately, when he finds a moment to slow down and unwind, he’ll turn on the television and catch his favorite new obsession.
The 23-year-old told onefc.com:
“Every once in a while, I’ll binge-watch something. But I’m not super consistent on TV or movies. I’m not a huge movie guy. I love them. I don’t spend too much time watching them. But I have been watching this TV show, Alone.”
The premise is as simple as it is brutal.
Alone is a survival reality television series that tests the limits of human endurance, stranding solitary contestants in the remote wilderness with nothing but the bare essentials and handheld cameras. Stripped of modern comforts, they must battle isolation and harsh elements until only one survivor remains.
For an elite competitor who has spent his entire existence pushing the boundaries of physical discomfort, passively observing from afar was never going to suffice. Instead, watching ordinary people battle Mother Nature sparked an immediate urge to test his own mettle against the elements.
He revealed:
“I love stuff like that. I would love to be able to get on one of those shows. I don’t know if I’d like to do Naked and Afraid because I’d like some clothes while I’m out. I hate mosquitoes. But that would be crazy. If I could get on Alone, that would be ideal. I would love it. I think I’d do good.”
Still, Ruotolo admits he is no seasoned outdoorsman. Winning scrambles under bright arena lights takes grit, but foraging for sustenance in unforgiving terrain is a different gauntlet entirely.
Somehow, that self-awareness keeps his wild ambition grounded.
He added:
“That would be one of the hardest parts – the food, for sure. From the couch, I see everything wrong that they’re doing. But I’m sure once I’m there, I’ll be making all of the same mistakes. You know, from the couch, it’s easy.”
Tye Ruotolo Refuses To Be Tamed
Tye Ruotolo may want to test himself in the great outdoors on survival reality series competitions like Alone, but truthfully, he has never needed much convincing to step off the grid.
Over the years, he has poured his ONE Championship performance bonuses into building a gym in Costa Rica, where long surfing escapes keep him far from the noise of competition.
Surrounded by lush canopy and pristine coastline, most people would simply unwind. Where others see a peaceful retreat, however, Ruotolo sees an invitation to test himself.
The California native said:
“I would be surviving a lot on my courage more so than my skills. That’s for sure.
“For a long time, I’ve been wanting to see how I would do in an isolated environment like that. In Costa Rica, I get to spend some time by myself, and obviously I have shelter, water, and stuff. But I always think about, ‘If I were here, what I’d have to do?'”
For the time being, his dreams of competing on Alone will have to take a backseat.
On November 6, Ruotolo enters the most unforgiving combat environment of his athletic life against one of the most prolific MMA fighters in ONE Championship history.
Whether in the wilderness or the ring, his code for survival stays the same: adapt, endure, and outlast.
He concluded:
“I feel like as a fighter, as a man, you have a little bit of ego, and you don’t want to think you can’t be out in nature, right? I don’t want to feel like a docile cat.”
“I want to be able to be like a wild cat, as a man. As weird as it sounds, a little part of you wants to stay wild.”
