ONE lightweight champion Christian Lee will put his belt on the line against grappling sensation Tye Ruotolo at ONE The Inner Circle 37 on November 6 at Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand. ONE officials confirmed the matchup. Lee most recently defended his title with a TKO win over Alibeg Rasulov, while Ruotolo enters the contest with a 2-0 MMA record, both victories coming inside ONE Championship.
Christian Lee will put the ONE lightweight championship on the line against rising grappling star Tye Ruotolo at ONE The Inner Circle 37 on November 6, with the bout set to take place at Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand. ONE officials confirmed the matchup.
Lee heads into the contest as the reigning ONE lightweight champion, having most recently defended his title with a TKO victory over Alibeg Rasulov. The Hawaiian fighter has long been one of the most dangerous competitors in ONE Championship, combining elite grappling credentials with finishing ability across both MMA and submission grappling.
Ruotolo arrives as one of the most celebrated young grapplers on the planet, and he has wasted little time translating that pedigree into mixed martial arts results. He enters with a perfect two-and-zero MMA record, both wins earned inside ONE Championship, giving him valuable experience under the promotion's ruleset before stepping into a world title fight.
Why it matters
- Lee's lightweight title is among the most prestigious belts in ONE Championship, making this one of the division's biggest bouts of the year
- Ruotolo's elite submission grappling background sets up a compelling technical matchup against a champion who is himself a dangerous grappler
- A victory for Ruotolo would mark one of the fastest rises to a world title in recent ONE Championship history, going from MMA debut to champion in just three fights
- For Lee, a successful defense would further cement his status as one of the sport's premier lightweights
