ONE FC has already kicked off 2026 with an announcement that set the grappling community on fire. Tye Ruotolo, the welterweight belt holder, will return to no-gi competition on the Asian promotion’s stage. The American talent will face Pawel Jaworski, a current grappling powerhouse who closed out a very successful 2025 season with the IBJJF no-gi world title. The aggressive style of both athletes, submission hunters, is a strong sign that the match could deliver a real show. The two will face off at ONE Fight Night 41, in Thailand, on March 13.
ONE’s reigning grappling champion, Tye Ruotolo, is coming off a recent foray into MMA, where he earned two wins by submission, in September and November last year. Two rear-naked chokes to stay unbeaten. Competing in no-gi in the promotion where he reigns as champion, he began his journey there by proving in practice that he had a future, submitting Garry Tonon in his debut.
AS ONE GRAPPLING CHAMPION, TYE RUOTOLO BOASTS A RECORD OF TEN WINS AND ZERO LOSSES
After three straight wins, it was time to fight for the inaugural welterweight title against Russia’s Magomed Abdulkadirov, who was defeated by unanimous decision. Since then, the André Galvão black belt has walked a path paved entirely with positive results in ONE. That’s 10 wins since 2022, without ever knowing the feeling of defeat inside the cage, against names like Dante Leon and Jozef Chen.
Tye’s eleventh opponent in the promotion, debutant Pawel Jaworski, is a dedicated athlete coming straight from Central Europe. Today, he enjoys prestige and a well-earned reputation as a leg locker. Just like Kade Ruotolo’s twin brother, who has an IBJJF world title to his name, Pawel holds that gold, but in no-gi. A recent triumph earned at the No-Gi Worlds at the end of last year, in Las Vegas.
PAWEL JAWORSKI IS AN ATHLETE 100% FOCUSED ON SUBMISSIONS; LEG ATTACKS ARE HIS SPECIALTY
The 2025 season made it clear that Pawel is an athlete who came to leave his mark at the elite level. He has the composure of someone who trusts his technique a lot, and it shows when he’s in action. If he wins but doesn’t get the submission, he gets frustrated. For Pawel, Jiu-Jitsu is about effectiveness and movement, always. It’s with that mindset that he grabbed the opportunity for a match that will put him in the spotlight.
In the season that just ended, the Academia Gorila competitor’s first year as a black belt, Jaworski piled up podium credentials that took him straight to the challenger spot in ONE FC. An ADCC trials champion, Pawel has already secured his place in the 88 kg division of the organization’s World Championship, which takes place this year in the athlete’s home country, Poland. In the IBJJF, the tally was also impressive: Pan champion, double gold at the Europeans and first place among the light heavyweights at the No-Gi Worlds to close out the year in style. At that most recent tournament, in Vegas, he also took bronze in the open class, just as at the Pans in New York, when he stepped onto the open class podium to receive the third-place medal.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
