Christian Lee told Combat Press he will 'destroy' Tye Ruotolo and expose his striking when they meet for the ONE lightweight title at The Inner Circle 37 on Nov. 6.
From 4 reports by 3 outletsLatest Lee tells Combat Press he will 'destroy' Ruotolo and expose his striking 2 updates 3 outlets
What we know
- Ruotolo challenges Christian Lee for the ONE lightweight MMA world title at ONE The Inner Circle 37 on Nov. 6, 2026.
- The Inner Circle 37 takes place at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok and streams for members on live.onefc.com.
- Ruotolo is the reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion and is 2-0 in MMA; his twin Kade holds the lightweight submission grappling title.
- Ruotolo submitted Lee's younger brother Adrian in his September 2025 MMA debut, Adrian's first pro loss.
Reported, not confirmed
- Lee told Combat Press he will 'destroy this guy' and thinks Ruotolo's striking will be exposed. Combat Press (via Knockout Daily)
- Ruotolo told onefc.com he has put his ONE performance bonuses into a gym in Costa Rica. Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned
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A win would make Ruotolo the first ONE fighter to hold world titles in both submission grappling and MMA, per Knockout Daily.
Knockout Daily
Christian Lee, the two-division ONE champion, told Dan Kuhl of Combat Press he plans to beat Tye Ruotolo down for five rounds, though he could see it ending in the first. "Man, I'm going to destroy this guy," Lee said.
Lee said he believes Ruotolo's striking looks better than it is because opponents worry about the takedown early. "He doesn't have that depth in the striking that you can only really gain through experience," he said. He plans to stay outside and make Ruotolo chase.
The fight carries a family grudge: Ruotolo submitted Lee's younger brother Adrian last year. Lee also said of Ruotolo's twin Kade, who fights Ok Rae Yoon at ONE Fight Night 50 on Dec. 18, "I'm excited to take them both out." Lee and Ruotolo meet for the lightweight title on Nov. 6 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
Lee said he believes Ruotolo's striking looks better than it is because opponents worry about the takedown early. "He doesn't have that depth in the striking that you can only really gain through experience," he said. He plans to stay outside and make Ruotolo chase.
The fight carries a family grudge: Ruotolo submitted Lee's younger brother Adrian last year. Lee also said of Ruotolo's twin Kade, who fights Ok Rae Yoon at ONE Fight Night 50 on Dec. 18, "I'm excited to take them both out." Lee and Ruotolo meet for the lightweight title on Nov. 6 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
- Summary
- Christian Lee told Combat Press he will 'destroy' Tye Ruotolo and expose his striking when they meet for the ONE lightweight title at The Inner Circle 37 on Nov. 6.
- Key points (one per line)
- Lee told Combat Press: 'I'm going to destroy this guy' and said it could end in the first round.
He said Ruotolo lacks depth in striking; Ruotolo is 2-0 in MMA.
Ruotolo beat Lee's brother Adrian by submission in September 2025.
The fight is Nov. 6 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
- Official source URL
- https://www.onefc.com/features/i-want-to-be-like-a-wild-cat-inside-tye-ruotolos-adventurous-dream-of-conquering-survival-reality-tv/
- Official source name
- ONE Championship
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/want-wild-cat-inside-tye-232025842.html
ONE Championship | https://www.onefc.com/news/lionel-messis-bodyguard-gets-a-crash-course-in-grappling-from-one-world-champions-tye-and-kade-ruotolo/
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/christian-lee-vows-to-expose-tye-ruotolo-as-the-lee-family-feud-lands-in-bangkok
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How the story developed
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Lee tells Combat Press he will 'destroy' Ruotolo and expose his strikingKnockout Daily
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Lee tells Combat Press he will 'destroy' Ruotolo and expose his strikingKnockout Daily
Sources
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Yahoo Sports MMA / UncrownedSummarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
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