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Two-time IBJJF No-Gi world champion Dante Leon has issued a confident prediction ahead of his world championship trilogy showdown with Tye Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2.
Despite acknowledging the unpredictable nature of facing such a tricky opponent, the Pedigi Submission Fighting athlete believes the final outcome will favor him when they tango for Ruotolo's ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship.
"How the fight unfolds, how it happens, when it happens, I don't know," Dante Leon told ONE Championship in a pre-fight interview, adding: "But as far as who's gonna win the match, I think I'm gonna win the match."
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This declaration of victory comes as the accomplished ground game wizard prepares for his third encounter with the fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Their rivalry stands perfectly balanced at one victory apiece—the 29-year-old Canadian claiming a decision win in their first meeting in 2020 before Ruotolo evened the score with a submission victory in their 2021 rematch.
For Leon, this represents an opportunity to claim both ONE gold and definitive superiority in one of the sport's most competitive rivalries.
On Ruotolo's end, the American BJJ megastar and divisional king is fired up to validate his world championship credentials and return with a bang after sitting out for a large portion of 2024 due to injury.
North American fans can witness this compelling rubber match go down at ONE Fight Night 31 live in U.S. primetime for free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
The card broadcasts live from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium on May 2.
Tye Ruotolo acknowledges that he'll have his hands full vs. Dante Leon
ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo eyes another massive win on submission grappling's grandest stage to go 8-0 in the promotion.
As confident as he is, the 22-year-old believes beating Dante Leon will be no walk in the park as he did in their second fight in 2021.
The Atos representative expects to be up against an evolved Leon, as he told JitsMagazine ahead of fight night:
"Dante—he's for sure a threat, no matter what, in every department. He's got a great guard, great wrestling. He's tactically very smart, doesn't make a lot of mistakes. And yeah, a lot's changed in the last three years, I'm sure."
