Garry Tonon Signs Exclusive Contract With ONE Championship For His MMA Debut

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nuraknu

nuraknu

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Jul 20, 2016
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ONE Championship have announced via press release today that American grappling superstar, Garry “Lion Killer” Tonon, is set to make his professional debut in ONE Championship, having signed an exclusive contract with the organization.

The BJJ champion is a fixture in global grappling tournaments, and is widely-considered one of the best submission grapplers in history. His first bout under the ONE Championship banner has yet to be announced.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “It is with great excitement that I announce the newest addition to ONE Championship’s elite list of global martial arts superstars, American submission grappling legend Garry Tonon. Garry is an amazing individual with a long list of accolades in submission grappling. I have no doubt that his transition to the ONE Championship cage will be a successful one. Fans have a lot to look forward to when Garry finally makes his debut with us....”

Source/more: Garry Tonon Signs Exclusive Contract With ONE Championship For His MMA Debut - MMAUNO.COM
 
nuraknu

nuraknu

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Smart dude to attempt to go the Ben Askren route. Live that relaxed lifestyle. Hope he does well.
 
Lukewarm Carl

Lukewarm Carl

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Interesting choice.

He'll have more freedom there to compete outside of MMA and there's a chance that ONE will even do some grappling super fights. They're also very likely to have given him a really good offer without any experience so that's great.

The thing that really makes it interesting for me is the rule set. For a bjj and leg lock specialist to open himself up to kicks and knees on the ground is kind of wild. I dig it.
 
M

member 603

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Good move for him, definitely in the top 5 BJJ grapplers in the world, and ONE doesn't have many big hitters, so he can work on his MMA grappling without having to face a Wonderboy, Lawler, or MVP, or Daley right away. I say he does a few fights there before Bellator and the UFC come calling (more likely Bellator to push that Danis fight).

In MMA, I'd love to see him fight a Maia, or Gunnar Nelson to show fans exciting grappling exchanges
 
SCADA

SCADA

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Oct 10, 2016
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Way to test yourself against people that can't stop a takedown.
 
T

The Big Guy

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Him and aoki should fight. It will be intresting how he deals with gnp that messes up alot of bjj guys but with his camp im sure he will be prepared
 
Wild

Wild

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willthiswork said:
Interesting choice.

He'll have more freedom there to compete outside of MMA and there's a chance that ONE will even do some grappling super fights. They're also very likely to have given him a really good offer without any experience so that's great.

The thing that really makes it interesting for me is the rule set. For a bjj and leg lock specialist to open himself up to kicks and knees on the ground is kind of wild. I dig it.
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If he can learn to strike just enough to get the fight to the ground, he will wreck shit over there. Dude is a wizard.
 
BrunoMcGyver

BrunoMcGyver

Bruno no dey carry last
Dec 30, 2015
6,540
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willthiswork said:
Interesting choice.

He'll have more freedom there to compete outside of MMA and there's a chance that ONE will even do some grappling super fights. They're also very likely to have given him a really good offer without any experience so that's great.

The thing that really makes it interesting for me is the rule set. For a bjj and leg lock specialist to open himself up to kicks and knees on the ground is kind of wild. I dig it.
Click to expand...
Soccer kicks were banned in One a while ago
 
M

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Tang said:
Tonon = new Paul Harris


wonder how his striking is?
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No... Not even close. The DDS team isn't all leg locks (look at Gordon's ADCC run this year, or their numerous EBI wins via choke or that kimura trap they use). Outside of Eddie Cummings (who primarily attacks legs), that whole squad is extremely diverse in their sub attacks (even Cummings honestly, he just favors the leg attacks).

As for striking, Garry is one of DeBlass black belts, but he's ultimately part of that big Renzo NY/NJ area fight team... He's got Mark Henry and Ray Longo as resources, and he's got Danaher as his game plan coach.... I think he'll be ok
 
Wild

Wild

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Rhino said:
No... Not even close. The DDS team isn't all leg locks (look at Gordon's ADCC run this year, or their numerous EBI wins via choke or that kimura trap they use). Outside of Eddie Cummings (who primarily attacks legs), that whole squad is extremely diverse in their sub attacks (even Cummings honestly, he just favors the leg attacks).

As for striking, Garry is one of DeBlass black belts, but he's ultimately part of that big Renzo NY/NJ area fight team... He's got Mark Henry and Ray Longo as resources, and he's got Danaher as his game plan coach.... I think he'll be ok
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He's going to be a monster.
 
Mix6APlix

Mix6APlix

The more you cry, the less I care.
Oct 20, 2015
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Wild said:
He's going to be a monster.
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Many said the same about Pe De Pano. How'd that work out? Not shitting on the guy, but I'd be more excited about a guy who has been training MMA and decimated opponents through regional orgs. Hopefully he is working on striking, and striking defense because he certainly has a good ground game. I can see him getting starched by a good wrestler with heavy hands who can stuff his takedowns and force him to stand and bang, Chuck Liddell style.
 
Mix6APlix

Mix6APlix

The more you cry, the less I care.
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I always liked this one, although it completely works against my previous post. Babalu v. Kohler.

 
M

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Mix6APlix said:
Many said the same about Pe De Pano. How'd that work out? Not shitting on the guy, but I'd be more excited about a guy who has been training MMA and decimated opponents through regional orgs. Hopefully he is working on striking, and striking defense because he certainly has a good ground game. I can see him getting starched by a good wrestler with heavy hands who can stuff his takedowns and force him to stand and bang, Chuck Liddell style.
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Objectively speaking, Mauricio came along in a time when if you were a dominant grappler and could impose your will, you could win a lot of fights (the UFC HW division was kind of a joke then)... Nowadays you see a lot of top grapplers working on their striking game too (see the man in my profile pic as an example, also Werdum). Garry by his own admission said that he is diligently working on improving his standup because he knows people are expecting just the grappling aspect of him, so I think he'll mix it up better.
 
GSPTrainingInAPool

GSPTrainingInAPool

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Dec 1, 2015
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Top Turtle MMA: Garry Tonon Shares Insight Into MMA Crossover - FloCombat

“I think the biggest mistake that a lot of guys going into mixed martial arts are making, in terms of jiu jitsu guys, at least if they want to get to the highest level, is they’re using their jiu-jitsu skills too much and relying on them too heavily early on in their career," Tonon said.

“That’s nice for your first couple fights, but one day you’re gonna be competing against the guys at the highest level, and if all you have to rely on is your jiu jitsu… it’s gonna be a struggle.”
 
Hwoarang

Hwoarang

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Oct 22, 2015
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No elbow rules favours his grappling.
He should go straight for the top, funnily enough, Ben askren would probably be one of his easiest fights if he can make that happen. He's probably got better stand up than Ben already and would break his ankles when askren grapples with him.
 
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