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Tye Ruotolo has got a tight grip on the ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship belt, and no one, not even former aggressor Dante Leon, will be prying it out of his hands.
The 22-year-old phenom is set to defend his crown at ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2, where he'll face off against Leon in their third bout and for the first time under the ONE Championship banner.
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The pair has a history dating back to 2020, where Dante Leon took the first win by decision. Tye Ruotolo got his revenge with a guillotine choke finish a year later.
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Now, they meet again - this time on the world stage of the biggest martial arts organization in the world, and with 26 pounds of gold hanging in the middle:
"But you know that, being said, I’m not looking past Dante," Ruotolo told Combat Sports Today. "And I love jiu-jitsu, and I'm grateful for my title for sure, for my belt, so I'm ready to to defend it."
Watch the full interview below:
Tye Ruotolo looks to finish Dante Leon "as soon as possible" in ONE Fight Night 31 world title defense
In their shared history, Tye Ruotolo has never been for the long, drawn-out matches. He thrives more in a fast-paced, finish-oriented setting, and so he's coming in sharp to close the game early:
"Try to make it exciting for you guys," he said, speaking to fans. "And I try to get my job done as soon as possible, for sure. So yeah, in and out, and that ways you guys can watch the next one."
Tye Ruotolo will defend the ONE welterweight submission grappling world title at ONE Fight Night 31, set to take place in the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on May 2. Fans in Canada and North America can stream the action live with an active Prime Video subscription.
