Grappling ace Dante Leon looking to take a breather after back-to-back incredible performances in ONE

Image provided by ONE Championship
Image provided by ONE Championship

After logging back-to-back wins in less than a month, BJJ sensation Dante Leon is in no rush to accept another match.

Leon made a massive statement in his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 26 in December, scoring a quick-fire submission victory over MMA standout Bruno Pucci.

29 days later, Leon returned to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and notched another win at ONE Fight Night 27 — this time against Norwegian grappling star Tommy Langaker.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Appearing at the ONE Fight Night 27 post-fight press conference, Leon confirmed that while he is keeping his options open, he has no intention of racing back onto the mat for a third time.

"Oh, we'll have to see," Leon said. "You know, it depends on what the availability is like. It depends on what matches are out there, who's available. I'm healthy. I don't have any injuries. I'm not looking to take extended time away. I'm also not looking to turn around and compete within 29 days like I did the last time."

He added:

"The last time I had a match in the beginning of December, I was already back here at the beginning of January, and with the holidays and everything, it didn't give me a lot of turnaround time at all. I'm not really looking to make that a habit."

Dante Leon questions whether or not Kade Ruotolo will continue to compete in BJJ after MMA debut

With his win over Langaker, Dante Leon could very well be the next man in line to challenge reigning ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo.

However, that all depends on whether or not Ruotolo is interested in defending his grappling title after kickstarting his mixed martial arts career with back-to-back finishes against Blake Cooper and Ahmed Mujtaba last year.

"Kade is a guy who's, walking at the 170 range, about what I am," Leon said. "But with Kade, like I said, he's very invested in MMA, very invested in grappling, or not as invested in grappling anymore, as he is in MMA. So it all depends on where the cards fall."

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 27 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Quick Links

Edited by C. Naik
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications