Former IBJJF black belt World Champion Tye Ruotolo will put the gi back on to enter IBJJF Worlds at middleweight. Tye is a former world champion at lightweight who is known for his aggressive style, scrappy demeanor, and twin brother, and with this entry he sets up potential collision courses with champions like Mica Galvao and Tainan Dalpra.

Tye Ruotolo won gold at the IBJJF World Championships in 2022, originally winning silver until an adverse result in testing resulted in Tye being upgraded to gold. In 2023, Tye returned and took bronze, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Jansen Gomes. Now he makes his third straight appearance at the tournament looking for another medal for his collection.

The middleweight division has been one of the most watched all year, with both the majors so far this year being won by Mica Galvao. Other contenders include last year's champion Jansen Gomes, and two-time middleweight world champion Tainan Dalpra. It's unknown who exactly will be in the division, but it could end up being an all-time division.

The IBJJF World Championships will be going down May 29-June 2nd in Long Beach, CA. All matches will be streaming live exclusively on FloGrappling.