Izaak Michell’s world title opportunity has a new time and place.
The Australian grappling standout will now challenge ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 21 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 6.
The pair were originally scheduled to meet at ONE 166: Qatar earlier this month.
Adelaide-born Michell is widely regarded as one of the best grapplers in his weight class.
The 25-year-old submission ace is a two-time ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials gold medallist who boasts victories over current IBJJF world champions Roberto Jimenez and Jansen Gomes.
But Ruotolo will undoubtedly represent the biggest test of his career so far.
The 21-year-old, alongside his twin brother and ONE lightweight submission grappling king Kade Ruotolo, has established himself as one of the faces of grappling on the global stage.
Ruotolo is unbeaten in his five-fight ONE tenure so far, and he counts MMA standouts Garry Tonon and Marat Gafurov among his submission wins.
The California native became the inaugural ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion in his last bout – a dominant decision win over Russia’s Magomed Abdulkadirov this past November.
He politely called Michell out after the historic win, and now he has gotten his wish.
The promotion also announced that ONE Fight Night 21 will be headlined by two-sport ONE lightweight world champion Regian Eersel, who will put his lightweight kickboxing crown on the line against French standout Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas.
The full card is still to be confirmed.
