ONE Fight Night 31: “I’m directing the ship” - Dante Leon won‘t let Tye Ruotolo dictate the pace of their world title showdown

Dante Leon has unveiled his strategic blueprint for dethroning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo of the United States in their upcoming trilogy bout. The 29-year-old submission specialist believes dictating the rhythm of the contest will be paramount when they collide at ONE Fight Night 31.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Leon said he wants to impose his game.

He told the world's largest martial arts organization:

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

"The big thing about not getting caught behind, the big thing about not losing dictatorship of the match, is that I'm making the choices, and I'm directing the ship on where I want it to go."

This approach highlights the Pedigo Submission Fighting representative's determination to neutralize the aggressive offense that has made the 22-year-old Ruotolo one of submission grappling's most dangerous competitors.

Dante Leon challenges Tye Ruotolo for the golden belt at ONE Fight Night 31

Top contender Dante Leon is set to challenge 22-year-old American phenom Tye Ruotolo this weekend for the ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship.

The two trade submissions in a highly anticipated world championship showdown at ONE Fight Night 31.

ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video is set to broadcast live in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 2. The event goes down from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and can be viewed in the United States and Canada with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.

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.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Anurag Mitra