‘It’s Going To End Quick’ – Tye Ruotolo Wants To Make Christian Lee’s Revenge Mission A Short One
Revenge makes a great story, but ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo has no plans to let it end the way two-division king Christian “The Warrior” Lee wants.
The 23-year-old California native will challenge Lee for the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title in the main event of The Inner Circle 37 this Friday, November 6. That show goes down live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, and it will stream exclusively to members via live.onefc.com.
A victory would make Ruotolo the first ONE World Champion in both the submission grappling and MMA ranks. The Singaporean-American titleholder, however, has a script of his own, and he has made no secret of it.
Lee said he wants to get this one back for his younger brother, Adrian “The Phenom” Lee, whom Ruotolo submitted during his MMA debut at ONE Fight Night 35 in September 2025. The defending lightweight ruler even questioned his American compatriot’s inexperience, noting that he has not been in any wars yet.
The challenger, who has won both of his MMA fights by submission, has heard that talk. He does not argue with the story, only with who has to carry it, and he points the spotlight back at “The Warrior.”
Ruotolo told onefc.com:
“I’m sure Christian’s got a lot of pressure because it’s on him. He’s got to avenge his little bro and all that, right? So, in theory, a lot of the pressure is on Christian.
“But I don’t really think about who thinks they should win, or what the odds or favorites are or whatever. I just think that on November 6th, I’m going to be scrapping, and against someone tough at that, too.”
Still, Ruotolo does not expect that pressure to rattle Lee, who also holds the ONE Welterweight MMA World Title. The two-division king has a history of evening the score and settling unfinished business, after all.
After losing the lightweight belt to Ok Rae Yoon in September 2021, Lee won it back in the rematch in highlight-reel fashion just a year later, and after a no contest in his first meeting with undefeated Turkish contender Alibeg Rasulov in December 2024, he finished him in the sequel last November for the 17th finish of his 18-win slate.
Ruotolo added:
“I know if someone beat my brother, a big part of me would want to get that back, for sure. But I know that Christian’s also a professional at what he does. He’s been a champion for a long time under the promotion – and that hasn’t been by accident.
“So, I’m not expecting him to be overly emotional or feel like he has to justify his brother, but maybe he will. I don’t know.”
Lee’s reason for fighting is plain and simple: this one is personal.
Ruotolo’s prediction is just as plain. The challenger has finished both of his opponents in MMA, earning a US$50,000 performance bonus for each win, and he sees no reason the main event should play out any differently.
A third stoppage victory on Friday would be the perfect way for him to become the newest member of the organization’s exclusive two-sport ONE World Champion club.
The Californian added:
“This is another great opportunity to put all of my skills to the test against the bigger brother. I’m really excited, and I’m gonna do my absolute best to put him away quickly.
“It could arrive in the first round, or it could come in the second. It’s going to end quick. It can definitely be a five-round war, but I think the odds of it ending in a couple of rounds, most likely with a submission, are a lot higher.”
Ruotolo Tips His Cap To Lee, For Now
Tye Ruotolo is predicting a short night, but not an easy one.
The challenger respects what Christian Lee has built, from the lightweight gold he won in 2019 that made him the youngest male MMA World Champion in history to the welterweight crown that turned him into a two-division king in 2022.
Ruotolo said:
“To stay a champion, you have to have a lot of good qualities, [like] being patient and being not emotional, and I’m sure that is a quality that he possesses. He’s strong. He’s got a lot of heart. He’s well-rounded. He’s explosive.
“He’s got some good qualities, for sure. He doesn’t make too many mistakes, too. Overall, he’s a great competitor.”
That respect, though, goes on the shelf once the bell rings at The Inner Circle 37. His training camp has been built around a destructive plan to take out the promotion’s all-time leader in wins and finishes.
The 23-year-old has done that work with his usual set of world-class coaches alongside twin brother, reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo, and those weeks of drilling have shown him a few openings to attack.
He revealed:
“It’s been the classic recipe my brother and I have been using [for this camp], and I wouldn’t change it for the world. We’ve got head coach Erik Paulson and Tyler Wombles, who have given us the best camps we could go through.
“So, yeah, I’m super grateful to have all of [their] knowledge and insight. And I definitely do see a couple of things that I hope to take advantage of during the fight.”
