- Welterweight submission grappling king Tye Ruotolo makes his long-awaited MMA debut against unbeaten teen prodigy Adrian Lee
- Adrian Lee vs Tye Ruotolo clash will happen at ONE Fight Night 35 on September 5, 2025
- The youngest member of the Lee family, 19-year-old Adrian, was surprised when the matchup was proposed by Ruotolo
When worlds collide, experience usually prevails – and undefeated MMA star Adrian “The Phenom” Lee plans to prove that theory when he faces submission grappling royalty at ONE Fight Night 35: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger on Prime Video.
Emanating live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, September 5, Lee welcomes ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo into the MMA realm in what promises to be a thrilling all-American lightweight clash.
The youngest member of the iconic Lee fighting family was surprised when the matchup was proposed by Ruotolo a few months ago.
In fact, the 19-year-old Hawaiian questions whether the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt made the right decision in calling him out for his first professional MMA bout.
Lee recalled:
“I was on my trip with my girlfriend. I saw [an article] pop up. It was like, ‘Tye Ruotolo wants to fight Adrian Lee,’ and I was like, ‘What?’ I was like, ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
“Later on, they sent over the contracts, and I was like, ‘You know what? I’ll take it. That’s a great fight for me.’ I don’t think that it is the smartest decision for his debut fight, but it is what it is.”
Lee, after all, understands that it takes a great deal of commitment, focus, and perseverance to ensure he isn’t thrown into the deep end unprepared.
While he respects Ruotolo’s accomplishments in the BJJ realm and all that he’s achieved in ONE Championship – an astonishing 8-0 run, including two ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title defenses – Lee is out to showcase the vast difference between pure grappling and the attention to detail needed in a sport like MMA.
As such, the 19-year-old believes his lifelong dedication to the sport will prove decisive in his bid to go 4-0 in his budding MMA career.
Lee said:
“He’s a great grappler. He’s very accomplished, but that’s grappling. Grappling and MMA are very different. You can’t just practice MMA for two years and think you’re ready to go pro. Even though he’s been doing grappling since he was a kid, I’ve been doing MMA since I was a kid. So, I think that’s gonna show on fight night.”
With such supreme confidence in his abilities, the Hawaii-based athlete isn’t looking for a long, drawn-out battle when he steps into the squared circle against Ruotolo.
As a fighter with three highlight-reel finishes in the world’s largest martial arts organization, all of which have earned him US$50,000 performance bonuses, Lee believes the addition of strikes and the different dynamics of MMA will expose his foe’s inexperience in the sport.
“The Phenom” continued:
“I’m gonna be a completely different MMA fighter, or even opponent, that he has ever faced. I really feel like I’m gonna beat him everywhere in this fight.
“Honestly, I’d say [this could end with a] first or second round knockout, TKO, or submission. I could see it going all three ways.”
Adrian Lee has not taken his foot off the gas pedal as he prepares for Tye Ruotolo – twin brother to ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo – at ONE Fight Night 35.
Despite limited insight as to what Tye could bring into his MMA debut, the teenager has taken down notes from Kade’s perfect 3-0 run in the division, highlighting what he’ll possibly need to look out for when the opening bell sounds in Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Lee shared:
“The Ruotolo brothers, they’re both very fast. They’re very slick with their submissions. They’ve got good cardio, and they got a good pace that they put on their opponents.”
Understanding the standard of grappling that Tye poses, Lee – coached by his older brother and reigning two-division ONE MMA World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee – flew BJJ black belt siblings Jonata and Jansen Gomes to Prodigy Training Center in Waipahu, Hawaii, to simulate the type of pressure and submission attempts he can expect from his 22-year-old adversary.
The comprehensive approach to his training camp has left “The Phenom” feeling supremely confident and completely ready for whatever challenge awaits him in the Thai capital.
Lee added:
“Training has been real good. We flew down some great grapplers for this camp, and I really feel that by the time fight night comes, I’m gonna be well prepared. I’ve covered all areas. Like, I’m fully prepared for whatever he is going to bring me.”