“Get in and get out” - Tye Ruotolo wants to be done with Dante Leon ASAP at ONE Fight Night 31

Tye Ruotolo isn't getting paid by the hour. Stepping onto the mat for the first time in 2025, Ruotolo will put his ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship on the line against multi-time IBJJF gold medalist Dante Leon.

It will be Ruotolo and Leon's third-ever meeting, and if things go the champion's way, it'll be their shortest. While speaking with ONE about his upcoming clash with Leon, Ruotolo said:

"I want to be able to get in and get out. I don’t want to be on the mat longer than I need to."

Leon and Ruotolo are deadlocked at 1-1, with the former defeating the latter via referee's decision in their inaugural meeting at Grapplefest 8 in 2020. A year later, they'd run it back under the Who's Number One banner with Ruotolo coming out on top via a guillotine submission.

With both bragging rights and 26 pounds of gold on the line, who comes out on top when they close out their trilogy on martial arts' biggest global stage?

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Tye Ruotolo recognizes how dangerous Dante Leon is

Though Tye Ruotolo wholeheartedly believes he can finish Dante Leon early, he still recognizes the fact that the Canadian is one of the best submission grapplers on the planet.

Ruotolo said:

"Dante is one of the best in the world. He just submitted Mica Galvao. He's one of the best in the world for his size, and so am I."

So far, Leon is a perfect 2-0 in ONE Championship, earning a big two-minute submission victory in his promotional debut against Bruno Pucci late last year. He quickly followed that up with a dominant decision win over two-time ONE world title challenger Tommy Langaker less than a month later.

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.