‘Don’t Think I’m A Good Matchup For Him’ – Adrian Lee Would Embrace MMA Fight Against Tye Ruotolo
Undefeated teenage MMA wunderkind Adrian “The Phenom” Lee is happy to accept the challenge laid down by reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo.
Earlier this month at ONE Fight Night 31, Ruotolo successfully defended his gold with a sterling decision victory over Dante Leon, further solidifying himself among the planet’s absolute best pound-for-pound ground fighters.
After that event, the submission grappling king responded to questions about his long-awaited MMA debut and named the 19-year-old Lee as a potential opponent.
“The Phenom” heard his name mentioned and told onefc.com that – although he doesn’t think it was a very wise callout – he would gladly welcome Ruotolo into the all-around sport:
“Honestly, I was surprised when Tye Ruotolo called me out for his MMA debut. Personally, I don’t think I’m a good matchup for him. I don’t think I’d be what a good feeder for him is, if that’s what he’s looking for. But I’m excited for that match.”
With three professional fights and three sensational finishes under his belt, as well as a lifetime of elite MMA training alongside his two-division ONE MMA World Champion brother Christian “The Warrior” Lee, Adrian believes his experience and well-rounded skill set would cause problems for Ruotolo.
While Ruotolo is clearly a world-class grappler, Lee said that his striking needs work. He pointed to Ruotolo’s twin brother, reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo, as evidence of the brothers’ current striking limitations.
Kade is also 3-0 in his burgeoning MMA career and has finished all three of his bouts via submission. For his part, Lee would love to test the striking of either Ruotolo brother:
“I think with what I’ve seen from Kade Ruotolo, their striking right now is what you would call very green – it’s very new to them. When they strike, it’s a little bit awkward, but they tie it well into their wrestling and grappling because their wrestling and grappling is at such a high level.
“They just go right from the striking into it. I think their general game plan is just to take opponents down and submit them. It’s been working well for them so far, but their striking is what needs to be tested.”
Despite this critique, Lee has tremendous respect for Tye Ruotolo and was quick to recognize that his ultra-aggressive, submission-hunting brand of grappling is perfectly suited for MMA.
If and when the two young athletes meet in the all-around sport, the Singaporean-American expects an unforgettable affair:
“I think that’d be a great fight. I think he’s a great athlete. Him and his brother, Kade, they’re phenomenal wrestlers and grapplers, and that really helps tie into their MMA game because of how dynamic they are. Their type of grappling style is more suited for MMA.”
Lee Thinks He Could Submit Either Ruotolo
Adrian Lee doesn’t lack confidence when it comes to a potential showdown with the Ruotolo twins.
In fact, he made the bold claim that he could not only defeat the World Title-holding brothers in grappling – but also submit them:
“I have the grappling skills. I believe that I could submit Kade or Tye Ruotolo in a grappling match. Just adding that to my striking and wrestling skills, I really believe that I’d beat them everywhere.”
Lee has some interest in competing in ONE’s submission grappling divisions in the future, but for now, his primary focus remains on climbing the lightweight MMA ranks.
He added:
“Honestly, I’d be open to taking some grappling matches and even going for the grappling belt in ONE Championship, but that’s not really my main focus.
“My main focus is to be the best possible mixed martial artist in the world. That means getting to the title in MMA and winning multiple titles. I want to be a peak martial artist – not just specialize in one area or the other.”
