“I couldn’t think of a better matchup” - Kade Ruotolo says brother Tye Ruotolo’s title defense vs Dante Leon will be off the charts

Kade Ruotolo will enjoy being a spectator when his twin brother defends his welterweight submission grappling crown against an incredibly tough challenger.

On May 3, at ONE Fight Night 31, Tye Ruotolo will put 26 pounds of gold on the line against the red-hot Dante Leon inside 'The Mecca of Muay Thai' Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Tye Ruotolo has been flawless in the home of martial arts, leaving a trail of excellence with his perfect 7-0 run in all-grappling matches.

The 22-year-old BJJ ace, though, will be in for a war against Leon, who made it look easy against MMA veteran Bruno Pucci in his ONE debut. The Canadian powerhouse kept it rolling against former multi-time world title challenger Tommy Langaker at ONE Fight Night 27 last January.

Meanwhile, Kade Ruotolo expressed his excitement for this showdown in an interview with The Bangkok Post:

"Absolutely, I think his matchups are great, you know. Dante and Tye, right now, at that size, I couldn’t think of a better matchup I’d rather see. Yeah, it’s super exciting."

The youngest ADCC world champion and the CJI -80kg tournament winner also lauded ONE Vice President of Grappling Tom DeBlass for making this epic clash happen, adding:

"Tom’s doing a great job and gotta keep it up."

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Tye Ruotolo hints at MMA transition after taking care of business vs Dante Leon

Kade Ruotolo moved to 3-0 in mixed martial arts at ONE 171, where he submitted Nicolas Vigna in the first round. By the looks of it, Tye may soon follow in his twin's footsteps and finally don the four-ounce gloves.

The Atos standout told The Bangkok Post:

"Real soon. As long as May 2nd goes according to plan, then maybe June. So yeah, I can’t wait. Sooner than later."

ONE Fight Night 31 will air live in US Primetime free of charge for those with a Prime Video subscription in North America.