Tye Ruotolo Set to Take On Teenage Sensation Jozef Chen at at ONE Fight Night 23

Following his twin brother, Kade’s successful MMA debut this past weekend, ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo is set to return to ONE Championship at the promotion’s next blockbuster showcase.

The American grappling phenom will take on promotional newcomer Jozef Chen in a 186-pound catchweight submission grappling battle at ONE Fight Night 23. This encounter is set to go down in US primetime on Friday, July 5, inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Ruotolo has been flawless in his tenure in the world’s largest martial arts organization, having secured six victories against world-class opponents like Gerry Tonon, Reinier de Ridder, and Dagi Arslanaliev.

Tye Ruotolo vs Jozef Chen: ONE Fight Night 23

In his latest outing, Tye Ruotolo successfully defended his World Title with a submission win over Australia’s Izzak Michell at ONE Fight Night 21. The Atos representative has been one of the top grapplers on the planet for quite some time now, which is unsurprising given that he and his brother started practicing combat sports as soon as they could walk.

In 2019, Ruotolo became the youngest-ever participant in ADCC at 16, and in 2022, he became the youngest IBJJF World Champion in history. Now 21 years old, Ruotolo’s list of achievements and conquests on the mats is already almost legendary.

On July 5, Ruotolo will face another young star when he takes on Chen. The 19-year-old has been rising through the ranks quickly. He won a medal in ADCC’s Asia and Oceania Qualifier in 2022 and has only improved ever since.

Last year, Chen won six matches in a single day, including a win over former ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title challenger Tommy Langker, to conquer the ADCC European Trials. The South African will showcase to ONE Championship for the first time at ONE Fight Night 23, and he’ll be looking to make a big splash against the welterweight submission grappling king. Let’s delve deeper into what makes newcomer Jozef Chen such a threat, exploring a few key things you should know about him.

Key points about BJJ prodigy Jozef Chen before facing Tye Ruotolo

Promotional newcomer Jozef Chen is all set to face ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu clash to determine who is the best. Unlike many of his competitors in ONE Championship, Jozef Chen didn’t start BJJ at an early age. He began training when he was 14 years old, making his rise to a top BJJ competitor even more impressive, having achieved this in just five years.

In his teenage, Chen trained at world-famous gyms alongside other fighters and top international talents. It was all because of his coach who created a nurturing environment and provided him with a methodological approach.

Chen also honed his skills training with the Texas B-team, a group known for its no-gi specialists like heavyweight Nick Rodriguez. These guys regularly pushed Chen, and he even got some sparring sessions with them while traveling for competitions.

Like his upcoming opponent Tye Ruotolo, Chen is known for his incredible skills and aggressive grappling style, which promises an exciting matchup. While Ruotolo’s title isn’t on the line, the winner of this fight could shake things up in the ONE Championship submission grappling rankings.

So, who are you backing? Let us know in the comments below.