Tye Ruotolo Expresses Respect for Dante Leon After ONE Fight Night 31 Victory
ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo expressed his respect for Dante Leon after the two menfaced each other in the co-main event of ONE Championship show ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs Nong-O II.
Ruotolo scored a unanimous decision victory against Leon toretain his world title inside Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium, taking a 2-1 lead over the Canadian challenger, with the two men having met twice outside ONE.
After the two elite BJJ black belts shared the mats for nearly 40 minutes, the 22-year-old American star voiced his admiration and respect for Leon.
“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,” Ruotolo 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,” he added.
