Dante Leon Chasing ONE World Title Shot Ahead Of ONE Fight Night 42: “Coming Into This Match Driven”

Dante Leon has beaten almost everyone put in front of him across a career that spans multiple organisations and two IBJJF No-Gi World Championships. The one place his resume has a gap is the place he cares about most: a ONE Championship World Title.

The 30-year-old Canadian returns to ONE Fight Night 42 on Prime Video on Friday, April 10, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok against Japanese grappling star Kenta Iwamoto in a welterweight submission grappling rematch — and every calculation he makes about this fight runs through the belt at the end of it.

Leon arrived in ONE Championship with back-to-back wins over Bruno Pucci and Tommy Langaker that immediately put him in title contention. He challenged Tye Ruotolo for the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title at ONE Fight Night 31 and came up short in a close contest that left him feeling he had not shown everything he was capable of. That result still stings.

“It stings not just not winning the title, but it stings more having a performance where you feel you left something on the table,” he said. “I’m coming into this match driven. I’ve had a lot of time to adjust my training and make myself better.”

Iwamoto is not a soft landing back into the win column. The three-time ADCC Asia and Oceania Trials winner makes his ONE debut having developed a formidable combination of judo instincts and suffocating top pressure. Leon already submitted him in their 2023 meeting — but that was a different ruleset, a different organisation, and a version of Iwamoto who has continued to evolve in the years since.

“It’s very foolish to bring what happened last time to the front of your mind and think that’s just indicative of how things are going to go the second time,” Leon said. “I know Kenta has gotten better. I have to show up and be better.”

His blueprint for the rematch is specific. He expects to get on top, apply pressure, and target the limb exposures that Iwamoto creates when attempting to escape — a pattern he has studied closely and believes he can capitalise on within the 10-minute ONE format.

But the immediate result is only part of the picture. Leon is in ONE Championship for the long haul, and he has made his intentions about as clear as they can be.

“I’m here because I want the title,” he said. “It’s the most exclusive title in the entire world of submission grappling. Every time I’ve been in an organisation, my goal is to prove that I’m the best. I’ve done that everywhere else I’ve competed except ONE Championship. And now that I’m here for the long haul, I want to make that happen.”