Tye Ruotolo, once doubtful about making a living through Brazilian jiu-jitsu, now sees unprecedented opportunities and financial rewards in the sport due to new promotions like ONE Championship and Craig Jones’ high-stakes tournaments, and plans to transition into MMA by the end of 2024.
Tye Ruotolo never imagined he’d actually make a sustainable living competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Growing up alongside his brother Kade, the 21-year-old twin always saw grappling as a passion rather than a career. Highly promoted world champions often went home with little to show for their victories, even in prestigious tournaments like ADCC, where the grand prize is $10,000 and fourth place yields only $1,000.
Times have changed lately. Promotions like ONE Championship are opening grappling-specific divisions. Two-time ADCC silver medalist Craig Jones has launched his own tournament with a $1 million grand prize on the line. Jones specifically thumbed his nose at the established ADCC tournament by running his upcoming invitational on the same day in August and just across town in Las Vegas.
Both Ruotolo brothers passed on invitations to compete in ADCC to join Jones’ upcoming tournament instead. Tye, who competes in a grappling match on Friday at ONE Fight Night 23 from Bangkok, Thailand, acknowledged that money played a part in that decision.
“My parents put their lives into us with Kade and I growing up in jiu-jitsu and there was no money in it whatsoever,” Ruotolo told MMA Fighting. “Very little opportunity.” For you to make a living, you had to open up a gym and be committed to it—that’s where you’d get your money as a professional jiu-jitsu fighter. Winning Worlds and other competitions couldn’t support you; it just wasn’t possible.
“Nowadays, I just thank my parents so much for investing everything they had,” he continued. They gave everything to us for nothing [in return]. Now we’ve come full circle—thank god—because we have an opportunity to win a million dollars next month. ONE Championship is paying us more than we’ve ever been paid before. They set up a championship contract—something that’s never been done before. There’s so much more money and opportunity now than ever before.”
Ruotolo couldn’t have imagined a better time for his career to flourish than right now with investments from promotions like ONE Championship.
He’s competing alongside fighters in MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing—all earning enough to focus solely on their martial art.
“Super happy to be healthy enough and ready to get the money and the opportunity—and the titles,” Ruotolo said. “That’s what it’s all about.” You love what you do; you never work a day in your life. I’m stoked to do what I love.
“It’s growing so wildly,” he added. Everything that ONE’s doing—the platform we have—it’s groundbreaking for jiu-jitsu fighters.”
While he has a grappling match on Friday and Craig Jones Invitational scheduled for August, Ruotolo still plans to eventually cross over into MMA.
Because there wasn’t really any way to earn a living in Brazilian jiu-jitsu until recently, most grapplers felt MMA was their only avenue for making money. That’s no longer the case but Ruotolo always planned on fighting; now the timing is right.
“Kade and I have an aggressive style for jiu-jitsu,” Ruotolo explained. Often times we’re on top while our opponents stall—Kade says all the time: ‘I wish I could just hit him right now; it would be way easier!’ I told him—you’ll get to soon!”
Kade made his successful MMA debut in June but is also returning to grappling for Craig Jones Invitational as well as facing Mikey Musumeci in September when ONE Championship returns stateside.
Tye intends to follow suit—getting his first fight done before 2024 ends.
“I don’t have anything set yet but by year-end—I want my debut no matter what,” Ruotolo said about fighting. Watching my brother fight got me fired up! Told the boys—I want Muay Thai after this! Ready? Not starting with Muay Thai though—starting with MMA first—and it’ll happen by year-end.”