Grappling king Tye Ruotolo says victory over Dante Leon feels a bit bittersweet: “I didn't get the sub”

Tye Ruotolo walked away from ONE Fight Night 31 with the belt still over his shoulder - but not with the finish he came for. The reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion successfully defended his title in a gritty trilogy bout against Dante Leon, but it wasn’t the statement win he’d hoped to make.

Despite the welterweight king's best efforts, Leon proved just slippery and savvy enough to survive to the final bell.

Tye Ruotolo shared his disappointment with his own performance during his post-fight interview with Nick Atkin:

"No, I didn't get the sub, you know, and that's my duty," he said. "When I come and step in the match, I got to finish my opponent. I couldn't get it done today. A little ring rust. I'm just happy to be back on the mats and ready for the next one. Start the inertia again."

For a submission-hunter like Tye, a decision win always leaves something on the table. Even with his title intact and his rivalry with Leon now clearly in his favor, the 22-year-old was quick to point out that the performance didn’t fully reflect what he came to do.

Watch the post-fight interviews below:

Submission-hungry Tye Ruotolo says world title defense “could have been better” against Dante Leon in Bangkok

After such a long layoff, Tye Ruotolo expected more from himself for his title defense. In the same interview, he added:

"Could have been better, could have gotten the sub, that’s what I came here to do. But I’m just grateful to be back on the mats again."

But with the gold still around his waist, the welterweight king isn’t dwelling too much. Instead, he's keeping his eyes on the challenge ahead: MMA.

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