ONE Championship: “He’s got wins over some of the best in the world” - Tye Ruotolo acknowledges Dante Leon as the toughest challenger he’s ever faced

Reigning and undisputed ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo of the United States turned in yet another dominant performance last weekend.

But he acknowledged Canadian opponent Dante Leon as the toughest he has faced in the world's largest martial arts organization.

Speaking to the media in his ONE Fight Night 31 post-fight interview backstage, Ruotolo talked about Leon and gave his rival due props.

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The 22-year-old Atos Jiu-jitsu product said:

"Just a lot of respect, you know. Dante’s been in the game for a long time. He’s a seasoned veteran, and he’s got wins over some of the best in the world."

Ruotolo took home a unanimous decision victory over Leon at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video, retaining his ONE welterweight submission grappling world title.

ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video was broadcast live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand last Saturday, May 3. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Tye Ruotolo says he maintains 'a lot of respect' for fallen foe Dante Leon after ONE Fight Night 31 scrap

Tye Ruotolo may have taken the edge in his series with Dante Leon by a score of 2-1, but the 22-year-old maintains the Canadian star is still his toughest adversary in ONE Championship.

But now, the Californian is happy to finally put Leon in his rear-view mirror. He told the media:

"After three matches like that, you can’t help but have a lot of respect for the guy, win, lose, or draw. And he’s a cool guy. Before the match, he’s obviously your biggest enemy, and after he’s normal, he’s cool."

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Tye Ruotolo's next fight.

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.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi