Dante Leon not sleeping on Tye Ruotolo’s supposedly weak guard game: “He just gets on top of anybody”

Dante Leon is not sleeping on any aspect of Tye Ruotolo's game.

After a stellar start to his ONE run, earning back-to-back victories over Bruno Pucci and Tommy Langaker just a few short weeks apart, the multi-time IBJJF world champion will look to add 26 pounds of ONE gold to his collection when he challenges Ruotolo, the reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion.

The two BJJ specialists will co-headline ONE Fight Night 31 on Friday, May 2, emanating from the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Speaking with the promotion, Leon addressed claims that Tye Ruotolo has a weak guard game, saying:

"I think that Tye, we just don't see him play a lot of guard. We just don't see him do things like that very often. And why does he really need to if he just gets on top of anybody and just, you know, do what he does or force people to get down on the bottom?"

---

Much has changed since the last time Dante Leon met Tye Ruotolo on the mat

ONE Fight Night 31 will be Tye Ruotolo's third career meeting against Dante Leon, the first two going down between 2020 and 2021.

Leon bested Ruotolo in their inaugural meeting at Grapplefest 8, but the ONE world champion scored some redemption, landing a guillotine submission victory over Leon under the Who's Number One banner.

Reflecting on how both of them have evolved over the years, Leon said:

"It's over three years, really. At least two, three years since we've gone against each other. So it's crazy to think about how far we've come and see the huge changes in me and him, which should be here in the fight. I'm excited."

ONE Fight Night 31 will air live on Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Canada in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 2.