In a late move, 2022 IBJJF Lightweight World Champion black belt Tye Ruotolo has registered himself for the 2023 World Championships - up at middleweight. The weight move was unexpected but opens up a ton of interesting matchups for the exciting young champion, who may face exciting matchups with world and Pan champions like Tainan Dalpra and JT Torres.

In 2022, Tye went into his first black belt worlds as one of the youngest black belts in the division and defeated Johnatha Alves, Levi-Jones Leary, and Lucas Valente before he eventually lost in the finals in a back-and-forth match with Mica Galvao. When Mica's subsequent USADA test was flagged, Tye was announced as the 2022 World Champion - a title he now looks to defend and build upon with this performance.

Tye Ruotolo Was On Fire At 2022 Worlds. Can He Recreate That Golden Performance?

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This middleweight division has been ruled by Tainan Dalpra, who won IBJJF world gold in both 2021 and 2022 - his first two years eligible at the level. Fresh off of another dominant performance at Brasileiros, Tainan now faces another serious contender in Tye - who won bronze in the 2022 ADCC absolute bracket and has had no issue in the past accepting fights with opponents larger than himself.

Tye Clinches His Spot In The World Finals Beating Guard Master Lucas Valente

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The World Championship middleweight division will also feature the return of JT Torres, a two-time Pan American in the gi and two-time ADCC World Champion, among many of the toughest gi athletes on Earth. How will Tye match up with these new faces, all aiming for the same ultimate prize? Tune into the 2023 World Championships exclusively on FloGrappling to find out.