Tye Ruotolo to defend welterweight crown against Dante Leon at ONE Fight Night 31

Two of the world’s best submission grapplers will be pitted against one another in a prolific World Title showdown at ONE Fight Night 31.  

On Friday, May 2, live in U.S. primetime, reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo defends his crown against Canadian star Dante Leon inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. 

While this will be their first meeting under the ONE Championship banner, the pair have met on two previous occasions.  

The first clash came in 2020. There, Leon defeated Ruotolo, earning a gritty decision in a hard-fought battle. But the American standout worked vigorously to gain redemption.  

One year on, he did just that – with style points. He submitted Leon with a guillotine choke to cement his authority and even the scores. 

In 2025, the pair have firmly asserted themselves as two of the biggest names in the grappling world. And now the two will engage in a pivotal third act in ONE Championship.

Dante Leon looks to upend Tye Ruotolo in ONE Fight Night 31 grudge match 

Dante Leon is looking to shake up the submission grappling world by dethroning reigning welterweight submission grappling king Tye Ruotolo.

Ruotolo, who has been dominant across four promotional outings in ONE, claimed the gold in November 2023 at ONE Fight Night 16 with a dominant showing over Magomed Abdulkadirov.

Since then, he’s continued his stronghold over the division, defending the gold on two occasions versus Izaak Michell and Jozef Chen.  

But facing Leon will be a whole different kettle of fish.  

The two-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion never shies away from a challenge. And with the opportunity to wear gold so soon into his ONE Championship journey, he’ll be eager to win the trilogy and leave the combat sports world in awe at ONE Fight Night 31.