Izaak Michell hopes to make a statement in his ONE Championship debut next month. On Friday, April 5, the Australian grappling sensation will face the biggest fight of his career when he challenges Tye Ruotolo for the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas.

Their clash would set the course of Michell future in his fighting career. Let’s have a look at what the new talent expects.

Izaak Michell is eager to face Tye Ruotolo

In an interview with ONE, Michell shared that he is eager to test his skills against the American grappling phenom – especially given how well their styles match up. “Stylistically, we both go in head-on. We both are pretty aggressive, but we also have good timing and can be smooth at the same time,” he said.

He further added, “So, it’s a really interesting matchup. I can’t wait. I’m really excited to see what happens.” Taking on Ruotolo on the global stage of ONE is a huge step up for the 25-year-old, but he believes he has what it takes to overcome his talented foe.

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Michell says his unpredictable and dynamic approach under pressure makes him a difficult matchup for anyone, even the Atos standout. “I think one of my biggest strengths as a grappler is my timing and my ability to change my intensity throughout the match. I think I’m able to be pretty conscious of what’s happening, and I have good reactions to everything. So, I think it’s quite interesting to have a match with me because I feel very strong at times and very tense, but then I’ll be loose other times, and it’s hard to read. It’s hard to catch my timing and my patterns, as well,” he said.

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Michell expects a good clash between him and Ruotolo

Ruotolo has five wins from as many outings in ONE Championship. He has also finished three opponents, including Magomed Abdulkadirov, who he submitted to claim the inaugural ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title at ONE Fight Night 16 last November. Defeating such an accomplished opponent will no doubt take Michell’s star to unimaginable heights, and he’s ready to seize the chance when he arrives in ONE on April 5.

“Man, this would mean everything. I think it’s definitely perfect timing with the alignment of where I’m at on my journey. I think it’s going to really set me up for my future and be a huge thing. It’s going to change my life,” he said.

ONE Fight Night 21 takes place inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, April 5, and it will be broadcast live and free on U.S. primetime via Prime Video for Amazon subscribers across North America.

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