Dante Leon reportedly chose ONE Championship over UFC to continue grappling career

After carving an identity as one of the best grapplers on the planet, it's not surprising that Dante Leon caught the eye of two of the largest martial arts entities in the world.

The two-time IBJJF no-gi world champion and multi-time ADCC medalist, though, eventually made the decision to join ONE Championship's loaded submission grappling ranks over the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

According to a report from the Grappling Insider, Leon initially entertained multiple offers, including a chance to compete at December’s UFC Fight Pass Invitational 9.

However, the allure of competing against ONE's elite roster was just too good to pass up. Additionally, Leon revealed he was enamored by the home of martial arts' core values, which also aligned with his own.

The Canadian star told ONE Championship in an exclusive interview:

“I see ONE as being a really premier organization, between their presentation, between how they conduct themselves, and a big thing is the athletes that are there.”

The Pedigo Submission Fighting affiliate continued:

“There are extremely high-level grapplers over there that have held titles. Now, some of the most high-level on the planet, regardless of who you ask, regardless of what kind of competition rules that you’re looking at, the best of the best are over there at ONE as far as submission grappling goes.”

Dante Leon can't wait to make his grand introduction to ONE Championship fans, and luckily, we won't have to wait long.

The 29-year-old BJJ maestro will duel fellow blackbelt Bruno Pucci in a 10-minute lightweight submission grappling showdown at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs Rasulov on Prime Video.

ONE Fight Night 26 will emanate from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Dec. 6. This stacked event will air live in US Primetime free of charge for those with a Prime Video subscription in the United States and Canada.

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Dante Leon echoes Demetrious Johnson's sentiments about signing with ONE Championship

Dante Leon now joins a distinguished group of the promotion's high-profile signees, a list that includes recently retired MMA GOAT candidate Demetrious Johnson.

In an interview with the Cageside Press, 'Mighty Mouse' reiterated that choosing ONE was the best decision he made in his historic career.

"ONE Championship is the best thing that's ever happened to me. [The UFC antitrust] lawsuit just went preliminary and I remember said you take 23 percent of whatever you made in the company, and that's what it would be."