Tye Ruotolo Runs Through Christian Lee - Claims ONE Championship Title with Ease

The age of Tye Ruotolo is here. The BJJ wizz is the new ONE Championship welterweight champion after his emphatic win over former champion Christian Lee.

Taking place at the ONE Championship event, The Inner Circle 37, Tye Ruotolo, a relative amateur in the world of MMA with a record of just 2-0, stepped into the ring to face Christian Lee, a 24-fight veteran.

What took place shocked everyone as Ruotolo walked away with the belt in a fashion that no one would have predicted.

Tye Ruotolo Claims ONE Championship Welterweight Title

Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium was the setting for the title fight between Lee and Ruotolo.

Ruotolo began the fight by throwing plenty of high kicks, clearly not afraid of being taken down due to his superiority on the ground. From the southpaw position, Ruotolo appeared relaxed, but exploded into a vicious combination of a lead hook and rear straight, instantly dropping Lee heavily. He followed Lee down and landed several huge shots from punches to elbows.

His BJJ acumen was clear as he moved into side control with ease to give himself a better angle to attack Lee. When given the opportunity, Ruotolo glided into full mount and continued to land shots, which saw Lee look to defend himself, albeit in a panicked manner.

Lee, attempted to get back to his feet but gave up his back, allowing Ruotolo to transition to his back and snatch his neck. Lee was able to fight off the rear naked choke for a matter of seconds before being forced to tap and give up his belt.

 

DOUBLE CHAMP status unlocked 🔓👑 Tye Ruotolo rocked Christian Lee before submitting him in the first round of their ONE Lightweight MMA World Title match to become a two-sport ONE World Champion! 🏆 #TheInnerCircle37 🔴 Join The Inner Circle for only USD9.99/month at https://t.co/wZyjoitSRT. 🎁 Save 10% on your first month with code "WELCOME10".

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) November 7, 2026

 

At just 3-0, Ruotolo is a world champion in a major organisation and achieved his success in a convincing fashion. ONE will likely book the rematch between the two men as it's the biggest fight they can book and, without a doubt, we'll all be tuning in.