6 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
ONE Championship: Adrian Lee's ominous warning to ONE Fight Night 35 opponent
Adrian Lee said Tye Ruotolo made a serious mistake when he called him out for his first professional MMA bout.
The surging lightweight prospect, younger brother of women's MMA icon and former atomweight champion Angela Lee, current double champion Christian Lee, and the late Victoria Lee – who was undefeated in ONE – will face the decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion in the ring at ONE Fight Night 35 in Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium on September 6.
Ruotolo's twin brother Kade is also a multiple-time world champion in submission grappling and had been heavily linked to fighting Adrian after amassing a matching 3-0 MMA record.
'When Tye called me out, I was really surprised,' Lee told the Post. 'I thought it was a horrible idea.
'I think I'm a terrible match-up for him, but it's a great opportunity for me to take his momentum.'
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Ruotolo is regarded as one of the best submission grapplers in the world but has around two years of MMA training. Lee, who is 3-0 with three submission victories since turning professional, said that will make the difference.