Inner Circle 37 Card Set With Lee vs. Ruotolo on Top
A grappling champion gets a shot at an MMA world title this Friday, November 6. Tye Ruotolo challenges Christian Lee for the ONE Lightweight MMA belt at The Inner Circle 37.
Ruotolo's chance to do what no grappling champion has
No ONE Submission Grappling World Champion has ever won an MMA world title. Ruotolo, the reigning Welterweight champion in that discipline, goes for it in only his third MMA fight.
He is 23 and was raised in Huntington Beach, California. He started Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 3. His twin brother Kade holds the lightweight grappling title and is also unbeaten in MMA.
The brother in the middle
Ruotolo's MMA career began with a second-round rear-naked choke of Adrian Lee, Christian's younger brother. It was the first loss of Adrian's professional career. Tye then put Shozo Isojima to sleep in under three minutes at ONE 173.
That history gives the main event a family edge: ONE describes the defending champion as looking for redemption for his family.
What Lee brings
Lee is 28, a Singaporean-American from Prodigy Training Center, and a two-division champion. He debuted for ONE at 17.
In May 2019 he knocked out Shinya Aoki in round two and became the promotion's youngest male MMA world champion. In November 2022 he stopped Kiamrian Abbasov for the welterweight title.
ONE says he has the most wins, finishes and first-round finishes in its history. Seventeen of his 18 wins came inside the distance.
A Muay Thai rematch in the co-main
Komawut FA Group and Yodphupa Petkiatpet meet for the second time, in bantamweight Muay Thai. Komawut won the first fight by split decision at ONE Friday Fights 50 in February 2024.
Yodphupa, 22, was out almost two years after a string of defeats and injuries. He returned in 2026 and outpointed Adam Benwarwar at ONE Friday Fights 144.
Komawut, 27, won seven of his first nine ONE Friday Fights bouts, then lost five in a row. He ended the skid in August with a split-decision win over Kyaw Swar Win.
The rest of the card
The card streams for members from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. Kongchai Chanaidonmueang faces Tantawy Ahmed in Muay Thai flyweight. Titus Proctor meets Maciej Karpinski in lightweight. Cal Cook fights Dabdam Por Tor Tor Thongtawee in strawweight.
Our view
The main event tests whether grappling success carries into an MMA title fight. Ruotolo's early finishes give him a case, but two MMA fights is a short record. Lee's record of finishes is the other side of that test.
Source: ONE Championship