Tye Ruotolo has “nothing but respect” for Dante Leon following trilogy win

Reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo took a clear stride forward versus Dante Leon at ONE Fight Night 31, dispatching the Canadian combatant across 10 dominant minutes.

The 22-year-old held onto his gold by unanimous decision in the co-main event this past Friday, May 2, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, settling the score in their trilogy at 2-1.

Ruotolo also increased his winning streak in ONE Championship to an emphatic eight in a row. But he isn’t letting that momentum affect his humility. Reflecting on the showing, the Tenore tussler has nothing but respect for his fellow elite grappler after three prolific clashes.

“Dante’s been in the game for a long time. He’s a seasoned veteran, and he’s got wins over some of the best in the world. After three matches like that, you can’t help but have a lot of respect for the guy, win, lose, or draw,” he said.

“And he’s a cool guy. Before the match, he’s obviously your biggest enemy, and after, he’s normal. He’s cool. I got nothing but respect for Dante.”

Tye Ruotolo envisions MMA debut in the near future

ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo is keen to follow in the footsteps of his twin brother and ONE lightweight submission grappling king Kade into the all-round sport of MMA.

Kade has enjoyed a trio of outings in the lightweight MMA world, winning all three inside the first frame.

Having trained alongside him throughout his transition, Tye believes it’s only a matter of time before he too straps on 4-ounce gloves. He’s already sparked plenty of interest after mentioning a potential showdown with unbeaten star Adrian “The Phenom” Lee in the near future.

“Very soon. Just working on some logistic side of things, but I can’t wait to scrap. I’m ready to go,” he said.

“The Lee fight sounds interesting. Adrian Lee for the debut would be awesome. Whoever [ONE] wants to throw my way, I’m ready to go, I’m excited to scrap, for sure.”