The reigning WNO middleweight champion, Tye Ruotolo, will try to become WNO’s first two-division champion when he faces Unity’s Levi Jones-Leary in Dallas, TX on Friday, January 21, 2022.

Ruotolo earned his middleweight title at the WNO Championship in September, winning three matches, including two by submission. An Atos product, Ruotolo is tied for the most wins on WNO; he and his brother Kade Ruotolo each have six victories on the platform. Tye is set apart as the most experienced of any competitor in the WNO ruleset. He's had seven matches on WNO.

Ruotolo is best known for his passing game and his pace; he put those talents to use in his rise to the middleweight title, pressuring his opponents from the top and in wrestling exchanges, and finding his trademark D’arce choke on one occasion.

In total, Ruotolo has a 50% submission rate in his victories, and has overwhelmed most of his opponents with passing pressure. He’s likely to find another opportunity to put his passing pace to the test against Jones-Leary, an avid guard player who will probably look to play from his back.

Jones-Leary made his WNO debut in October against Oliver Taza, and put his guard to work early in that match. He took Taza’s back with a berimbolo to start the match, then showed off his flexibility and guard retention skills before securing another sweep to the mount to solidify his victory.

Grappling fans have been anxious to see the extent of Jones-Leary’s no-gi game, and this title match promises a great test of his game. Ruotolo will push the pace and keep the game open, giving Jones-Leary the space needed to unleash his own style. Both athletes will want to take control of the action early, but must be cautious; one misstep in either direction could mean an early end to the match.

The welterweight title is up for grabs here, one of the few remaining vacant titles in the WNO collection. One of these men will leave the mat donning the WNO 170 lb strap.

This match will be Tye Ruotolo's black belt debut.

About WNO: Jones vs Marinho

WNO: Craig Jones vs Pedro Marinho will take place in Dallas, TX on Friday, January 21, 2022. Tickets are on sale now to watch the event live in person. Or, watch it live on FloGrappling and the FloSports App. The event will begin at 8 p.m. ET. Three prelims will begin the event, and will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook, followed by the main card.

Main card matches will only be streamed on FloGrappling.

The main event, and all undercard matches, are scheduled for 15 minutes under WNO rules.

 The remainder of the card will be announced throughout this week.

Watch Live

WNO: Craig Jones vs Pedro Marinho

The press conference will be streamed live on YouTube, Facebook and FloGrappling at 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 20. Also on Thursday, FloGrappling will host a seminar featuring Craig Jones in Dallas. Tickets to the seminar are available here.