‘Built For This’ – Tye Ruotolo Looks To Extend Submission Grappling Reign Against Pawel Jaworski At ONE Fight Night 41
Following a banner year that saw Tye Ruotolo make a successful transition to mixed martial arts, the American superstar will return to submission grappling, where he has already established himself as one of the planet’s most dominant competitors.
The three-time ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion is set to defend his crown against Polish challenger Pawel Jaworski at ONE Fight Night 41 on Prime Video, which will be broadcast live in U.S. primetime on Friday, March 13, from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
After going 2-0 in MMA competition in 2025, Ruotolo credited the tight-knit team around him — including twin brother and ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo — for fostering the environment that allowed him to perform at his best.
The Roots of Jiu Jitsu representative said:
“I always think about the people I have around me. I feel like it’s so hard to lose with my team. I feel I have such a special team around me, and it’s such a big blessing. But aside from that, I always go back to the saying ‘preparation meets opportunity equals success.’ I prepared the best I could, and the opportunity came exactly the way I was hoping it would.
“So I think it’s just a testament to the team, having good people around you, putting in the work. And also, I think my brother and I, we’re really built for this, for sure.”
In the all-encompassing sport, the 23-year-old impressed the global fanbase with an evolving striking arsenal. He overwhelmed Adrian “The Phenom” Lee and Shozo “Great Teacher” Isojima on the feet before eventually finishing both men with his trademark rear-naked choke inside the distance.
The impressive wins added another chapter to Ruotolo’s already stellar grappling résumé. The American star has compiled 36 career victories in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including eight wins in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
That success did not appear overnight, however. Alongside his brother, the Ruotolos constantly pushed each other to improve, turning everyday moments into intense battles that sharpened their competitive instincts:
“It’s an interesting situation because in the pocket, in the true pocket, I feel relatively comfortable. My brother and I spent a lot of time there growing up. Whether I had perfect form or not, maybe I didn’t have the best guard or the best defense, but I probably felt more comfortable there than I should have.
“So I remember days we’d be on the beach for 30 minutes straight just going at it until one of us was done.”
Ruotolo Breaks Down Jaworski’s Leg-Lock Threat
Tye Ruotolo understands that defending his ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title at ONE Fight Night 41 will require navigating one of the sport’s most dangerous specialists.
Standing across the mat inside the fabled walls of Lumpinee Stadium will be Pawel Jaworski, a 21-year-old Polish standout representing Academia Gorila.
With a professional BJJ record of 38-6 and an IBJJF World Championship to his name, the promotional newcomer has built his reputation as one of the sport’s most feared leg-lock specialists.
According to Ruotolo, that style represents a broader shift within modern grappling — one that has dramatically reshaped high-level competition over the past several years.
Ruotolo said:
“I think the best way of understanding the match, especially for someone who doesn’t understand the jiu-jitsu world too much, is this: jiu-jitsu hasn’t changed a lot in the last 20 years. Technique still works.
“But about five or six years ago, these specialists came into the game — leg lockers. There were always some leg lockers around, but suddenly people started specializing in it. Traditional World Champions who had been winning forever were getting taken out in seconds by these leg-lock specialists.”
Ruotolo believes that Jaworski is a product of that leg-lock revolution.
The Polish challenger has built his success around relentlessly attacking lower-body submissions, often forcing opponents into dangerous entanglements.
While the American respects the potential danger his challenger possesses, Ruotolo insists he has spent years preparing for exactly that kind of threat.
The California native said:
“I think he might attack a heel hook better than I can attack a heel hook. But in every other category of jiu-jitsu, in the most humble way possible, I’m more experienced and I understand jiu-jitsu better.
“I think he’s a little bit of a one-trick pony, but he’s as good as it gets at what he does, 100 percent. I’m not underestimating him in any shape or form. I just think I have many different routes to victory, and I think his route to victory is one.”
