Tye Ruotolo will return to action at ONE 173 in Tokyo for a lightweight MMA showdown with Japan’s Shozo Isojima – a matchup that adds even more firepower to ONE Championship’s blockbuster card on November 16.
The bout pits two undefeated athletes against each other, with both men looking to make a statement in their young MMA careers.
Ruotolo, the reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion, made his long-awaited MMA debut in September at ONE Fight Night 35, choking out Adrian Lee in the second round. After that victory, he told the Bangkok Post he was hoping to ‘slide onto the Tokyo card’ – and his wish has been granted.
The Bangkok Post understands the 22-year-old American was initially discussed as a potential opponent for former ONE lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, but those plans shifted when Aoki was paired with Hiroyuki Tetsuka in an all-Japan matchup announced earlier this week.
Isojima, meanwhile, has been on a rapid rise of his own. The 28-year-old Japanese standout was originally scheduled to face Adrian Lee at ONE 172 in March, but the fight was cancelled after he suffered an injury. He finally made his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 36 earlier this month, earning a second-round TKO over Nicolas Vigna – and a US$50,000 performance bonus.
Backstage after the fight, Isojima told the Bangkok Post he hoped to land a slot on ONE’s next Japan card.
‘I’m speechless – I don’t know what to say, I’m so happy,’ he said. ‘I won my first fight, I knocked my opponent out, my weight went so well. Maybe a chance to fight on ONE 173 in Tokyo.’
Asked who he wanted next, Isojima replied without hesitation: ‘The opponent I couldn’t fight at ONE 172 – Adrian Lee.’
That callout didn’t materialise, but matchmakers have instead granted him another high-profile test against the man who handed Lee his first professional defeat.
The matchup further strengthens ONE 173’s historic lineup, which now features seven world title fights and a total of 18 bouts on a single day – with an intermission expected between sessions. Doors open at 11am local time, with the show scheduled from 12pm to 10pm at Ariake Arena.
Other confirmed fights include Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs Nong-O Gaiyanghadao for the vacant flyweight Muay Thai title, Superbon vs Masaaki Noiri for the featherweight kickboxing crown, and Jonathan Haggerty vs Nabil Anane for the bantamweight Muay Thai world title.