Ruotolo submits Lee with a rear-naked choke at 2:08 of the first round

Tye Ruotolo submits Christian Lee with a rear-naked choke at 2:08 of the first round. The fight was the main event of The Inner Circle 37 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Friday, November 6, which that story had booked.

Ruotolo is 23, he takes the lightweight title, and he moves to 3-0. The first two wins were rear-naked chokes of Adrian Lee and Shozo Isojima. He is the welterweight submission grappling champion, and he is the first athlete in ONE to hold world titles in submission grappling and MMA. Chatri Sityodtong paid a $100,000 performance bonus.

Lee is 28, he keeps the welterweight title, and he falls to 18-5, with one no contest. He had won the lightweight title back from Ok Rae Yoon on August 26, 2022, and the one defense was knees on Alibeg Rasulov at 2:32 of the second round at ONE 173 on November 16, 2025. He stepped in to avenge Adrian, whom Ruotolo submitted at 4:14 of the second round at ONE Fight Night 35 on September 5, 2025.

Lee jabbed and switched to southpaw to match Ruotolo. He talked and chopped the legs, and his hands dropped. Ruotolo threw a spinning kick, then a right hook and a left to the chin. Lee went down. Ruotolo took side control and mount, Lee gave up the back on the scramble, and the choke made him tap.