Canada’s best grappler Dante Leon is preparing to wear the 26-pound gold belt around his waist.
The 29-year-old superstar will clash with Tye Ruotolo, who will defend his title against his old foe at ONE Fight Night 31 on 3 May at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ruotolo has been an unstoppable force since his ONE debut, securing seven wins and the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title in the process.
On the other hand, Leon previously defeated him in 2020, but he lost the next bout in 2021. This will be their trilogy fight, and the two-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion is confident that he is more than capable of defeating his old rival.
“I can hang with Tye anywhere, to be honest. I don’t think that there’s anywhere that I see myself being way behind him,” Leon said.
“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.”
The Pedigo Submission Fighting representative made a successful promotional debut in December 2024 against Bruno Pucci, submitting him in just over two minutes.
A month later, he collided with the former two-time ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title challenger Tommy Langaker. It was a back-and-forth bout, but the Canadian managed to win by unanimous decision.
After two successful outings, he is now up for a title match against the dangerous Ruotolo. The man who started BJJ at the age of 12 insists that this title match will end in a submission.
“Going into a match like this, it’s hard to say. It’s hard to say what is going to happen. If I’m to speak honestly, I 100 percent feel like I’m going to win this match,” Leon said.
Fans in India can watch the ONE Fight Night 31 live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6:30 a.m. IST on Saturday, 3 May.
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