“A great representation of jiu-jitsu” - Tye Ruotolo has nothing but respect for Dante Leon after tough ONE Fight Night 31 war

It’s no secret that Tye Ruotolo has plenty of respect for Dante Leon. He’s said it in interviews leading up to the fight and now, in the Circle, right after their ONE welterweight submission grappling title fight at ONE Fight Night 31 last weekend.

During his in-ring interview, Ruotolo said:

"Man, much respect for Dante, thank you so much. Give him a round of applause, Dante, a great representation of jiu-jitsu. I’m stoked to have a good performance."

This was their trilogy bout, but their first under the ONE Championship banner. The two split their first two encounters on the global grappling circuit - Leon winning the first by decision and Ruotolo claiming a submission win in the rematch. ONE Fight Night 31 gave Ruotolo the edge in the rivalry, putting the tally at 2-1 in his favor.

With gold on the line, both men came in with something to prove - but at the end of it all, it was Ruotolo who earned the nod from the judges. It wasn’t the flashiest win of his career, but it was a hard-fought one. And that one wrapped up the competitive trilogy between two of the best grapplers in the world.

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“I’m ready for my MMA debut” - Tye Ruotolo says he’ll fight in four-ounce gloves next after successful title defense vs. Dante Leon

Now that he's successfully defended his submission grappling belt, Tye Ruotolo is looking ahead to his next challenge: his MMA debut. His twin Kade has been through a couple of MMA matches as Tye was forced to be idle in recovery, but now that he's back on the mats, Tye is eager to make up for lost time:

"I’m ready for my MMA debut pretty soon. As long as everything lines up, I’m really excited. I’d like to do it here in Lumpinee if I can."

Watch Ruotolo and Dante Leon in action at ONE Fight Night 31, available for replay on Prime Video with an active subscription in North America.