Grappling star Garry Tonon signs with ONE Championship
ONE Championship (ONE), has just announced 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 Brazilian jiu-jitsu 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.”
Garry Tonon, ONE Championship athlete, stated: “I am thrilled to be able to finally announce my arrival in ONE Championship. It is the natural evolution in my career as a grappler. I have achieved all that I have set out to do in the world of jiu-jitsu, and now I am ready to take on a new challenge. I am excited to begin my ONE Championship career, and proud to showcase my skills on the biggest global stage of competition.”
Garry Tonon is an American submission grappling superstar from New Jersey. He began wrestling in primary school, competing as an amateur before being introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 14. Under the tutelage of coach Tom deBlass and the legendary Ricardo Almeida, Tonon would go on to win multiple IBJJF No-Gi world championships in different belts. In September of 2013, deBlass and Almeida awarded Tonon a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Shortly after, his professional grappling career began, and Tonon would later win multiple titles at the Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI) and Metamoris professional grappling leagues.
Tonon made his first appearance inside the ONE Championship cage when he took on Japanese martial arts legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki earlier this year, in the promotion’s first-ever Grappling Super-Match. Tonon won the contest impressively via heel hook submission. Determined to make a name for himself in the next chapter of his martial arts career, the 26-year-old Tonon is set to make his highly-anticipated professional debut in ONE Championship.
