ONE Fight Night 31: Tye Ruotolo reflects on how far he and Dante Leon have come since their first encounter: “He’s done some big things”

Tye Ruotolo reflects on how far he and Dante Leon have come since their first encounter: “He’s done some big things”

Modified Apr 25, 2025 08:56 GMT

Tye Ruotolo and Dante Leon - Photo by ONE Championship

Reigning and undisputed ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo of the United States is ready for his highly anticipated third showdown with Canadian grappling star Dante Leon.

The two are set to meet next weekend, this time in the world's largest martial arts organization.

Both men hold a victory over one another, but it's Ruotolo who has the coveted ONE Championship gold heading into the all-important trilogy fight.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Ruotolo praised Leon for the strides he has made in his game since they last met on the mats.

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The 22-year-old Atos Jiu-jitsu representative said:

"I remember, I was young when we fought back then. That was a long time ago now. I knew it was gonna be a super tough match. I have a lot of respect for Dante, for sure. He’s done some big things."

Needless to say, fans cannot wait to see Tye Ruotolo and Dante Leon hunt for submissions one more time.

Whoever wins will leave the stadium with 26 pounds of gold in tow and the title of best in the world.

Tye Ruotolo and Dante Leon go to war at ONE Fight Night 31 on Prime Video

22-year-old ONE world champion Tye Ruotolo is set to defend his ONE welterweight submission grappling world title against Dante Leon.

The two meet in the co-main event at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video, which will broadcast live in U.S. primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, May 2.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.

About the author

Dan is an MMA writer with 10+ years of overall experience. Before his ongoing tenure at Sportskeeda, Dan got the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport by contributing to ONE Championship and Fight Game Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Dan’s connection to MMA started during the early days of the UFC and ONE Championship. He previously practiced boxing and ranks Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Fedor Emelianenko as the top five MMA fighters of all time.

He has covered several events onsite and on the ground for ONE Championship and hopes to continue doing so. He ensures that he churns out accurate articles by citing only legitimate sources and getting firsthand accounts through exclusive interviews whenever required.

Dan feels MMA fighter pay seems like an issue because it often gets compared to what fighters earn in boxing but that MMA will eventually catch up in the future.

His other interests include soccer and video games.

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Edited by C. Naik