Garry Tonon ahead of his world title fight against Thanh Le at the main event of ONE: LIGHTS OUT in March. (ONE Championship)
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NE Championship star Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon has been called many things because of his prowess on the canvas. From “jiu-jitsu superstar” to “your mom’s favorite grappler," the American athlete has heard it all.
Tonon, who holds a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) record of 64-23, will return to the Circle at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot on May 20 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where he will compete against 19-year-old BJJ phenom Tye Ruotolo.
This will be The Lion Killer's first submission grappling bout in some time, as he has been focused on MMA lately, but he is considered somewhat of a pioneer of the format in the ONE Championship.
The 30-year-old took part in the promotion’s first-ever submission grappling match against Japanese veteran Shinya Aoki in 2017, and he could not be happier with the sport’s evolution in The Home of Martial Arts.
“It's been years since that match, but that's how I kind of got my foot in the door. I'm glad that now they're really implementing it and making it a big part of [ONE]. It's raising the level of our sport. Man, it's kind of been my life story, as far as influencing professional grappling, and the opportunities everybody has,” Tonon said.
A black belt under the famed John Danaher and Renzo Gracie since 2013, The Lion Killer has received much admiration for his grappling since he first stepped onto the mats two decades ago. He is a two-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) world no-gi champion, an IBJJF BJJ world champion, and a five-time Eddie Bravo invitational champion.
Tonon’s perseverance in submission grappling has led to bigger opportunities for the athletes who have followed in his footsteps, and the sport has gained wider recognition because of him.
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That said, the 30-year-old star is not convinced he will be remembered for his contributions to the sport.
“I don't know if 10 years from now anybody's going to realize how instrumental of a part I played in putting professional grappling on the mat. I'm sure they'll watch my matches. [But] the next guy that goes to train or compete, it's probably very unlikely that they're going to realize that the professional landscape of the sport is where it is because of specific athletes,” Tonon said.
However, come May 20, expect a memorable performance from Tonton when he steps inside the Circle in the sport that has defined his career.
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This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship