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Tye Ruotolo believes he could have forced Dante Leon to tap out if he had a couple more minutes on the clock during their most recent showdown.
Ruotolo delivered another stellar showing inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, scoring a unanimous decision victory over multi-time IBJJF gold medalist Dante Leon to retain his ONE welterweight submission grappling world championship.
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While Ruotolo mostly dominated the ONE Fight Night 31 co-main event, he was unable to cinch in a submission before the 10-minute time limit.
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But with just a little bit more time to work with, the Atos Jiu-Jitsu star believes he could have added another highlight-reel finish to his resume.
"If I had a couple more minutes, I feel confident that I would have gotten the catch, but that was all I got in 10 [minutes], so that’s what I was able to do with it," Ruotolo said at the ONE Fight Night 31 post-fight press conference. "So next time I’ll make sure I get the sub for sure."
What's next for Tye Ruotolo?
With his win over Leon, Tye Ruotolo scored his 20th career victory and improved his record under the ONE banner to a perfect 8-0.
Ruotolo still has every intention of continuing to defend his submission grappling gold on martial arts' biggest global stage, but following in his brother's footsteps and transitioning into mixed martial arts appears to be pretty high on the BJJ star's to-do list.
And Tye Ruotolo already has the perfect venue in mind for his first foray into MMA.
"So, I don't mind coming to Lumpinee," Ruotolo said. "I love it here."
Tye's brother, Kade Ruotolo, has already made three appearances in four-ounce gloves, submitting all of his opponents in spectacular fashion. Is Tye Ruotolo destined for the same greatness in MMA? Perhaps, but fortunately, it sounds like we won't have to wait long to find out.
ONE Fight Night 31 will air live on Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Canada in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 2.
