Backstage at Tye Ruotolo sat down with Nick Atkin after successfully defending his submission grappling world title against Jaworski via unanimous decision. Tye Ruotolo was candid about his performance and had strong words about the state of competitive jiu-jitsu.
Despite the victory, Tye Ruotolo admitted he was not at his sharpest.
“I felt a little rusty in there, honestly. Things weren’t coming to me the way they should have been.”
He hinted that a growing focus on MMA may have pulled his attention away from the mat. Still, he was not too concerned.
“Kade and I have been training since we were 3 years old, every single day of our lives pretty much. So even if we’re starting to focus on another sport, I feel like we’ll always be right there at the top in jiu-jitsu. It’s all we’ve ever known. I know it better than I speak English.”
When his manager’s reported comments about no longer wanting “butt scooters” came up, Tye Ruotolo opened up about the tension between technical grappling and fan-friendly entertainment. He acknowledged the skill of his opponent while being clear about the problem with passive guard pulling on a big stage.
“Guys like Pawel, he’s so technical. Jiu-jitsu is all about technique, it’s all about the smaller person beating the bigger guy. But at the end of the day, we’re on a show. When there’s a lot of butt scooting from both sides or one side, it just makes it difficult for it to be digestible for the fans.”
He then delivered the line that summed up his frustration with stalling grappling matches.
“They’re in the 50/50 doing… I call it the ultimate scissoring championships. They’re just sitting there.”
For Tye Ruotolo, the issue is personal as much as it is professional.
“I brought my girlfriend here. I don’t want her to see me just in the 50/50 the whole match. I want to do some cool exciting stuff. Not just her, but everyone. It’s a show, it’s all about doing your best to put on a show.”
He reflected on his own performance with that standard in mind.
“I did my best, did a little ring around the repoes off the cage, tried to spear through him. I felt like I was a little bit slower than I should have been. Normally I’m two, three, four steps ahead and this time I was just kind of coasting my way through. I was fine, I was safe, but I didn’t get the subs. Looking forward, that’s what I need to do.”
