Tye Ruotolo ONE Fight Night 31: "Just constant and never ending" - Fans feel the immense pressure Tye Ruotolo unleashed on Dante Leon in Bangkok duel

ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo never underestimates any of his opponents. This is why fans were not surprised at his tenacity in defending the gold in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 31 last Friday, May 2.

Ruotolo delivered on his promise of an unforgettable showing by rushing Canadian rival Dante Leon and preventing him from mounting any offense throughout their matchup, thus retaining the crown via unanimous decision.

Watch the highlights of their 10-minute world title tilt below, which ONE posted on Instagram:

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Ruotolo's relentless aggression and Leon's excellent defense garnered praise from fans in the comments section, writing:

"Tye's pressure is insane. Just constant and never ending. 🔥"

"These two brothers are the spazziest black belts I've ever seen, how do you prepare for a match like this cause their style is so unique."

"Now this is fun to watch! 🔥🙌🙌"

"Best in the game!"

One commenter perfectly encapsulated what made their submission grappling bout such a joy to watch:

"Style is everything 🔥🔥🔥"

Screenshot of comments. [ONE Championship/Instagram]

Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch ONE Fight Night 31 on demand.

Tye Ruotolo ecstatic to have competed again in Lumpinee Stadium

After being forced to sit on the sidelines since August of last year due to injury, Tye Ruotolo was glad to have made his return inside the hallowed halls of the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Speaking with ONE commentator Mitch Chilson after defending the throne, he stated:

"I haven't been in the ring in Lumpinee in a long time, I miss this place a lot. Just the feeling I get walking out, listening to Tribal Seeds, coming in here and scrapping, there's nothing better. I love this place, it's like home."

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard