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A World Title showdown between two of the planet’s top pound-for-pound submission grapplers is officially heading to ONE Fight Night 31 on Prime Video.

On May 2 in U.S. primetime, reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo will put his belt on the line against surging Canadian powerhouse Dante Leon.

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That highly anticipated clash will take place at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and will represent the third meeting between these elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts.

They first collided back in 2020, when Leon scored a hard-fought decision victory. One year later, Ruotolo would earn his revenge with a guillotine choke finish.

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With both men now firmly established as ONE superstars, the rubber match has all the makings of an unforgettable war.

After four dominant victories to begin his ONE tenure, Ruotolo claimed the inaugural ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title with a lopsided decision win over Russian veteran Magomed Abdulkadirov in November 2023 at ONE Fight Night 16.

These two teams are meeting for the first time in the tournament in group stage.

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Since then, the American has continued his winning ways, successfully defending his belt against Australian phenom Izaak Michell and picking up a decision over fellow young phenom Jozef Chen.

Leon, though, might be the man to end Ruotolo’s reign.

A two-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion who is renowned for his raw physical strength and technical, well-rounded style of grappling, the 29-year-old has impressed in ONE through two appearances.

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Leon hardly broke a sweat in his promotional debut last December, finishing Bruno “Puccibull” Pucci in just two minutes. He then returned just a few weeks later to score a thrilling decision win over former two-time ONE World Title challenger Tommy Langaker.

Those victories, coupled with his lengthy list of accomplishments outside of ONE, erased any doubts that Leon is ready for his crack at 26 pounds of gold.

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Will Ruotolo, with his all-action, ultra-aggressive style be too much for the Canadian to handle? Or will Leon’s veteran savvy and technical precision be enough to claim the welterweight submission grappling belt?

Keep checking onefc.com for more news about ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2.

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