Only 21 years old, Tye Ruotolo has already made great strides in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but his journey is far from an easy one. Growing up with twin brothers Kade, Ruotolo realized that struggle was more of an emotional affair than a legitimate career. Historically, even the best Jiu-Jitsu champions found it difficult to make a living from the sport. Popular tournaments like ADCC (Abu Dhabi Fight Club) offered easy prizes – $10,000 for first place and only $1,000 for fourth place, leaving many grapplers struggling financially despite being all over the world knowledge
Dynamics Change in Grappling
Times have changed completely. Organizations like ONE Championship lead the way in struggle-specific divisions, and the sport’s financial prospects have never looked brighter. A key development in this evolution has been the launch of the Craig Jones Invitational, a new tournament offering a $1 million grand prize pool. Two-time ADCC silver medalist Craig Jones hosted his competition across the city in Las Vegas on the same day as the ADCC in August. This bold move aims to disrupt the traditional mode of struggle and draw attention to new opportunities.
Both Ruotolo brothers declined ADCC invitations to participate in the Jones program, a choice influenced in part by financial prospects. Tye Ruotolo is set to compete in a grappling match at ONE Fight Night 23 in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, and has expressed his excitement about the changing landscape.
“My parents invested their lives in us growing up in jiu-jitsu,” said Ruotolo, an MMA instructor. “There was no money in it. To make a living, you had to open a gym and rely on it. Winning tournaments didn’t help you. It was impossible. Now, next month we have a chance to win $1 million, and ONE Championship pays us the most. A Championship deal has been established, and it is unprecedented. There is a lot of money and opportunity in Jiu-Jitsu right now. It’s a wonderful time.”
Recognition of New Opportunities
Ruotolo is excited about the current opportunities in boxing. ONE Championship’s investment in grappling is changing the sport, allowing fighters to focus solely on their craft while earning big bucks. Ruotolo sees this change as a dream come true.
“Super happy that I am healthy enough to take advantage of these opportunities,” said Ruotolo. “The opportunity to make money, get a degree – that’s all there is to it. If you love what you do, you don’t work every day of your life. I’m excited to do what I love. What ONE Championship does for jiu-jitsu is incredible. “This is a time of change for our sport.”
Future Plans are MMA
Historically, due to the lack of financial opportunities in Jiu-Jitsu, many grapplers chose MMA. Although the financial situation has improved, Ruotolo has not kept up with MMA.
“Kade and I have an aggressive approach to jiu-jitsu,” Ruotolo explained. “Sometimes opponents give up, and Kade always plays to beat them. I tell him, ‘You’ll get your chance soon!’”
Kade Ruotolo made a successful MMA debut in June and will continue with grappling and MMA events, including the Craig Jones Invitational and Super Match against Mikey Musumechi in September Tye is also keen to follow, Before 2024 ends is expected to make MMA about more competitive.
“I don’t have anything concrete yet, but I want to debut by the end of the year,” said Ruotolo. “It was watching my brother fight that made me feel better. I told the group I was even considering a Muay Thai fight after this! I’m ready to go! I’ll start with MMA first and it will be the end of the year.”
