ONE Fight Night 31: Dante Leon looks back at his submission loss to Tye Ruotolo ahead of trilogy: “I wore myself down”

ONE Championship star and two-time IBJJF no-gi world champion Dante Leon of Canada is feeling sentimental, as he looks back on his fierce rivalry with reigning and undisputed ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo.

Leon and Ruotolo are tied at one win apiece in their storied rivalry, with the Canadian losing via submission in their first encounter, later on exacting vengeance via decision in the rematch.

Before the two go head-to-head in their highly anticipated trilogy fight this weekend, Leon recalled why he believes he got tapped out by his American counterpart all those years ago.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Leon talked about his first matchup with Ruotolo.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

The 29-year-old Pedigo Submission Fighting representative said:

"I think I wore myself down trying to catch up to him, and I end up getting tapped in the last five seconds."

Needless to say, fans can't wait to witness Dante Leon and Tye Ruotolo go to the mats once more, and they won't have to wait long.

Dante Leon faces Tye Ruotolo in a trilogy match for the gold at ONE Fight Night 31 on Prime Video

29-year-old Dante Leon is set to challenge American rival Tye Ruotolo for the ONE welterweight submission grappling world title in what is the third showdown between the BJJ stars.

Leon and Ruotolo lock horns in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video, which is set to broadcast in U.S. primetime this Friday, May 2.

The event emanates live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

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.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by C. Naik