'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAv/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAwCcJ/wD/xAAdEAACAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwEABBIiITGy/9oACAEBAAE/AEWbgsGExerCjEokeMe/VNFimmso2CZGa//EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAf/aAAgBAgEBPwBHDf/EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEA/9oACAEDAQE/AFv/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tye Ruotolo believes being mentally prepared is just as, if not more important than, being physically ready for a fight.
Thus far, Ruotolo has looked practically unbeatable under the ONE Championship banner, winning seven straight matches and etching his name in the history books as ONE's first-ever welterweight submission grappling world champion.
However, the Atos Jiu-Jitsu star will face his toughest test yet when he puts his gold up for grabs against multi-time IBJJF world champion Dante Leon at ONE Fight Night 31 on Friday, May 2.
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Speaking with ONE ahead of his highly anticipated return to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Ruotolo discussed the importance of being mentally prepared for a fight, especially on such a big stage.
"More so than you could have everything right physically," Ruotolo said. "Everything's perfect. If you're mentally off before your competition, if you're not on and you're not thinking about the task at hand, then all your hard work could be for nothing."
Tye Ruotolo lauds Dante Leon's well-rounded skill set
While Tye Ruotolo has been sidelined, dealing with the first major injury of his career, Dante Leon has emerged as one of ONE Championship's marquee grapplers.
Making his promotional debut late last year, Leon made waves with a spectacular two-minute submission victory over Bruno Pucci. A month later, he delivered another dominant performance, besting two-time ONE world title challenger Tommy Langaker to solidify his spot as the top-ranked contender in the division.
Asked what makes Leon such a tough test, Ruotolo said:
"He's super well-rounded. He's very smart in the sense of where he's hard to set up. He doesn't really fall for any traps. He's very secure."
Who comes out on top when two of the best BJJ practitioners in the world square off?
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.
