is confident that he바카라ll become a ONE World Champion and solidify himself as one of submission grappling바카라s all-time greats at .
On May 2 in U.S. primetime, the Canadian dynamo will challenge American superstar for the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title in one of the sport바카라s biggest matchups in recent years.
These elite BJJ black belts have collided twice before, with Leon earning a clear-cut decision in 2020 and then Ruotolo winning by submission in their 2021 rematch. Since then, both athletes have gone on to accomplish great things.
The Californian became the youngest-ever IBJJF Black Belt World Champion and ONE바카라s inaugural welterweight submission grappling king, while Leon added IBJJF No-Gi World and Pan-American golds to his jam-packed trophy case.
Today, each man is considered among the sport바카라s pound-for-pound best.
According to Leon, their clash at ONE Fight Night 31 represents the absolute pinnacle of competitive grappling. He told :
바카라It바카라s the biggest match in the world right now, to be honest. Maybe I바카라m biased to myself, but when you talk about a match that has history, you talk about a match that has excitement, that has titles, that has accolades, that has prestige, that has, in my opinion, the most respected World Title belt attached to it going to the winner.
바카라It being on ONE Championship, it being on Amazon Prime. I mean, there바카라s a million reasons why this is probably the biggest match in the world right now. This is one of the biggest matches that we바카라ve ever had in the sport.바카라
Beyond the high-stakes nature of this World Title showdown, the stylistic battle between Ruotolo and Leon is a grappling fan바카라s dream.
While the titleholder is a true buzzsaw of aggression and activity, Leon is an immensely powerful athlete and arguably the most well-rounded submission hunter in the world.
After sharing the mat with Ruotolo for nearly 30 minutes already, Leon believes that his versatile skill set will allow him to maintain control from the opening bell:
바카라I think that Tye, we just don바카라t see him play a lot of guard. We just don바카라t see him do things like that very often. And why does he really need to if he can just get on top of almost anybody and just do what he does or force people to get down on the bottom?
바카라Just because of my style, and just because of how things go, you see me play in a lot of different positions. You see me in a lot of different exchanges more so than you do a lot of other people. But, against him, I don바카라t see this as me having to play anything that he forces me to or he makes me choose.
바카라The big thing about not getting caught behind, the big thing about not losing dictatorship of the match, is that is I바카라m making the choices, and I바카라m directing the ship on where I want it to go.바카라
After turning in a pair of flawless performances through his first two appearances in ONE, Leon is loaded with positive momentum.
Well aware of the career-defining opportunity before him, he expects to seize the moment and defeat Ruotolo in emphatic fashion:
바카라I 100 percent feel like I바카라m going to win this match.
바카라I바카라m going to try to submit him. I바카라m going to try to beat him and secure a victory that takes all judges, takes any kind of opinion out of it. It바카라s gonna be a submission victory, if it바카라s gonna be anything. I바카라m 100 percent confident in that happening.바카라
Leon: 바카라Matches Like This Can Live On Forever바카라
For Dante Leon, owning 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold wouldn바카라t just be another line on his lengthy list of accomplishments 바카라 it would cement his status as one of the best grapplers in history.
Still just 29 years old but with a wealth of accolades and experience under his belt, he admitted he바카라s constantly thinking about his legacy.
His clash with Tye Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 31, he explained, will be a pivotal moment in determining how he is ultimately remembered:
바카라All of these matches and all of these things that I바카라ve been doing recently have really been something that can help forge my legacy and help my story live on through many, many years, even after I바카라m dead and gone.
바카라I think matches like this can live on forever, and that바카라s a special thing, and that바카라s very real.바카라
Indeed, Leon has spent his entire black belt career fishing for the biggest fish in the sea, in constant search of the most challenging opponents available to him.
Ruotolo 바카라 who바카라s undefeated across his ONE tenure 바카라 certainly fits the bill. This Friday, Leon will look to overcome this massive hurdle and capture the most prestigious prize in martial arts:
바카라I바카라ve always looked to hunt down World Champions and guys who are ranked the best in the world. And that바카라s because I want people to look back at my career, and I don바카라t wanna have this thing of, like, 바카라Oh, he didn바카라t fight anybody. Like, he has 200 wins, but, you know, he fought nobody.바카라 No. I wanna be able to have 30, 40 World Champions that have been defeated by me.
바카라The title at ONE is a very special thing for any martial artist, any person. That바카라s huge. That바카라s monumental.바카라
