ONE Fight Night 31: Dante Leon Expects Submission Win in 'Biggest Match in The World' Against Tye Ruotolo

Two of the best pound-for-pound Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu superstars are set to take the centre stage when they collide for the sport's most coveted title. ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo will defend his crown against Dante Leon in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 31.

On 3 May, these two ultra-talented submission experts will battle to prove who's the best welterweight grappler on the planet. The iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, will witness one of the two superstars' unbeaten promotional win streaks come to an end.

Ruotolo and Leon share a long history, having competed against each other in 2020 and 2021, and their scores are tied at 1-1. Leon is pumped for the match and believes it's the biggest bout in the sport.

"This is, in my opinion, the biggest match in the world right now, to be honest. I think it is because of Tye's and my success over the last few years and over our careers. I think it's like that because of the backstory of it," Leon said.

"This is kind of the pinnacle of everything. If somebody says that another match out there is bigger than this match, it's really just opinion because as far as the evidence you're providing, this is as big as anything."

The Canadian's American rival remains undefeated in his last seven ONE matches. Many world-class grapplers have tried their luck to beat the young phenom, but all have fallen short. However, the 29-year-old has a different plan altogether.

With 145 career wins, Leon is far more experienced and battle-tested than Ruotolo. The experience will be crucial to dethrone the young sensation who has been ruthless so far. He is confident in his abilities to get the submission victory.

"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," Leon said.