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Dante Leon isn't just coming for Tye Ruotolo's welterweight submission grappling belt, he's also looking to be the first man to finish him in ONE Championship.
The Canadian challenger made a bold prediction ahead of his showdown with arguably one of the best BJJ athletes of this generation at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs Nong-O II on Prime Video.
Speaking to ONE ahead of the biggest match of his career, Leon vowed to end Ruotolo's trail of dominance by tapping him out this Friday, May 2, inside Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium.
"I'm going to try to submit him. I'm going to try to beat him and secure a victory that takes all judges, takes any kind of opinion out of it. It's gonna be a submission victory if it's gonna be anything. I'm 100 percent confident in that happening."
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Dante Leon showcased his elite grappling chops in his promotional debut against Bruno Pucci last year, where he submitted the MMA vet via a slick triangle-armbar.
The Pedigo Submission Fighting athlete then earned his shot at 26 pounds of gold by outlasting multiple-time world title challenger Tommy Langaker.
Submitting Ruotolo, however, will be much easier said than done. We'll soon find out if Dante Leon can live up to his promise at ONE Fight Night 31. The full event will air live in US primetime on May 2, free for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Dante Leon says he won't let Tye Ruotolo bully him
Tye Ruotolo loves getting physical in his matches, using unrelenting top pressure and initiating grueling scrambles to overwhelm his foes.
Dante Leon knows this all too well, having faced the youngest IBJJF world champion twice before. Given what's at stake in this 10-minute grudge match, the Canadian challenger made sure he is in the best physical and mental shape of his life.
"I'm definitely gonna be physically stronger than he is. My cardio, my conditioning, my shape's gonna be top notch. I don't necessarily see anywhere that I'm going to be lacking in," Leon told ONE.
