Teenage grappling star Jozef Chen is set to make his debut in the ONE Championship this weekend, and he’s honored to be doing it opposite one of the best talents in his sport.

At ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov this Friday, July 5, the South African athlete is set to lock horns with ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo in a catchweight submission grappling contest inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Jozef Chen breaks down how he plans to test his “ideas” against Tye Ruotolo

To meet a genuine superstar in competition is something any athlete wants to do, so it’s no surprise that hype is high for Chen ahead of his first foray in ONE.

“Tye is definitely one of the more exciting and one of the more well-accomplished grapplers in the sport,” he said in an interview with the promotion.

“So, especially for me, outside of how good he is and the level that he’s on, I think one of the things that makes it exciting for me is that I’ve been watching him for, man, since I was a yellow, orange belt. So being able to compete against him, it’s a very cool experience.”

Tye and his twin brother, Kade, have been competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since they learned to walk, and the grappling world has had its eyes on them ever since. 

Chen counts himself among the many who followed the American stars’ journey, and he believes this will help him in his upcoming matchup.

Instead of being intimidated by the resume of the Atos athlete, Chen is more intrigued by how his own technique will hold up against one of the best to ever do it. 

Chen poised to make his stamp on the grappling world

“I have a good idea of what he’s going to do. But, I mean, the best way to test out a lot of these ideas on what may work or may not work is actually having the match,” he said. 

“I mean, he’s very young. I think he’s a bit older than me, but I assume, in our careers, it won’t be the only time we cross paths. So I think it’s a great opportunity for me to test a lot of the stuff I’ve been working on.”

Ruotolo’s World Title may not be on the line, but Chen could make a loud splash in his promotional debut if he snaps the American grappling prodigy’s dominant six-fight undefeated streak in ONE. So fans should brace themselves for a grappling showcase when this contest kicks off.