ONE Fight Night 31: “I can bounce around between pretty easily” - Dante Leon explains how going after both Ruotolo’s world titles is very possible

Dante Leon is confident in his long-term ability to compete in the ONE lightweight and welterweight submission grappling divisions.

Last January 10, Leon extended his ONE Championship grappling record to 2-0 with a unanimous decision win against Tommy Langaker. The impressive performance warranted a title shot for the Canadian grappler.

Lightweight king Kade Ruotolo has prioritized MMA over the last year, while his twin brother, welterweight champion Tye Ruotolo, has focused on submission grappling.

On Friday, May 2, Leon will challenge Tye for his welterweight title in the ONE Fight Night 31 co-main event. While speaking to Cageside Press, Leon had this to say about his ability to compete at lightweight and welterweight:

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"My walk-around weight is in the low 170s. I am a—people get confused when they see welterweight. Welterweight at ONE Championship is 185, lightweight is 170. I am a lightweight grappler. I'm 155 to 170—that's where I can bounce around between pretty easily and naturally at 170."

ONE Fight Night 31 goes down inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Friday's event can be seen live and for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Following Tye Ruotolo vs. Dante Leon, the ONE Fight Night 31 main event will feature a non-title flyweight Muay Thai bout between Nong-O and Kongthoranee. They fought earlier this year in February, with Kongthoranee winning a close split decision.

Watch Leon's entire interview with Cageside Press below:

Dante Leon could pull Kade Ruotolo back into grappling with win against Tye Ruotolo

Kade Ruotolo's last three ONE Championship appearances were in MMA, all first-round submission wins. The lightweight grappling world champion has voiced his interest in defending his title later this year.

Dante Leon has a tough test against Tye Ruotolo later this week. If Leon hypothetically defeats Ruotolo, Kade might consider avenging his brother's defeat, assuming the promotion doesn't book an immediate rematch.

Leon and Ruotolo have split a two-match series outside of ONE. Leon won the first by decision in 2020, and Ruotolo avenged the defeat by guillotine a year later.

Take a look at the entire ONE Fight Night 31 bout lineup below:

About the author

Jake Foley is a journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in covering all forms of combat sports, including MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. His passion is ignited by the exceptional fusion of physical and mental skills demanded by world-class fighters in these sports. Jake is captivated by the intricate mix of fierce determination and a modest mindset exhibited by athletes in these disciplines. He also finds the atmosphere of major championships, like the epic clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, truly unparalleled.

Jake has earned his UFC credentials to cover the major events for Sportskeeda and has conducted several interviews.

Jake supports various teams across several professional sports, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Inter Miami, Norwich City, Miami Marlins, and Las Vegas Golden Knights. The sports moment Jake will never forget is Jon Jones dismantling Vladimir Matyushenko.

Since joining the SportsKeeda team, Jake has written 400 articles covering several MMA promotions, including the UFC and ONE Championship. He continues to work hard to maintain his journalistic integrity and tell the stories of fighters worldwide.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi