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Tom Taylor

Garry Tonon has made great efforts to prepare for Thanh Le’s striking.
The American BJJ black belt will challenge Le for the ONE Championship featherweight title in the main event of Friday’s Lights Out card in Singapore.
While he will have a significant advantage if the fight hits the mats, he will be at great risk as long as he is standing with the Vietnamese-Australian champion.
“He’s probably the most intelligently put together fighter in the division in terms of his precision and the way he is trying to set things up,” the 30-year-0ld grappler said. “This is a person who I believe is very calculated and sharp.”


Le’s world-class striking – which is bolstered by fight-altering knockout power – makes him a difficult foe to prepare for.
In an effort to ready himself for the task at hand, Tonon brought in a number of notable training partners, including UFC featherweight Andre Fili.
“Andre Fili has come down a few times,” he said. “[He’s] a very talented striker in the UFC – not a particularly similar style to Thanh, but a very articulate, intelligent fighter who’s been able to help me here and there.”

Tonon also got in some sparring with kick-boxing specialist Raymond Daniels – though he admits those rounds were a painful experience.
“I even got an opportunity to spar once with Raymond Daniels,” he said. “I got a nice spinning kick to the liver during sparring. Some sparring sessions are better than others.”
None of Tonon’s sparring partners have been able to perfectly emulate Le, but after a long and fruitful camp, the grappler will step into the cage this Friday with new-found confidence in his striking game.
Yamaguchi trains with Sakuraba, Imanari for ONE Championship grappling match
“I’ve had an opportunity to bring some people down that bring that in and out, darting kind of style, which is cool,” he said. “It’s never quite a perfect replication of the person you’re going to fight, but we did our best.”
“I’m really happy with it,” Tonon added. “I feel about as confident as I’ve ever felt in my striking.”
Tonon previously predicted he would beat Le by submission in the second round. He still believes that is possible, but is now leaning toward a victory a little later in the fight.

One way or the other, he plans to leave the cage with belt wrapped round his waist.
“The times that I’ve seen Thanh struggle for a round, he has been able to come back immediately the next round,” Tonon said.
“So I don’t see this being a situation where I dominate him for a round and then he is just gassed and doesn’t have anything left for me.
“Talking about round three, four, a little bit later, might be a more accurate prediction than round two, unless I surprise him with something to get through the defence and get to the submission.”


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ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Garry Tonon more confident in striking after sparring sessions with Andre Fili, Raymond Daniels

Garry Tonon catches a kick from Koyomi Matsushima. Photos: ONE Championship

Thanh Le lands on a punch on Martin Nguyen in Singapore in 2020. Photo: ONE Championship

Garry Tonon locks in a heel hook on Yoshiki Nakahara.

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Former ONE featherweight MMA champion Martin Nguyen. Photo: ONE Championship

Kim Jae-woong (left) throws a jab at Martin Nguyen. Photo: ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Mei Yamaguchi training with Japanese legends Sakuraba, Tokoro and Imanari for Danielle Kelly grappling match

Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi prepares for a fight in the ONE Circle. Photo: ONE Championship.

Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Danielle Kelly prepares to train. Photo: @daniellekellybjj/Instagram.

Mei Yamaguchi prepares to fight in the ONE: Circle. Photo: ONE Championship

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Featherweight champion Thanh Le will defend his crown in Singapore on Friday. Photo: ONE Championship

Thanh Le (left) fires a punch at Martin Nguyen. Photo: ONE Championship 

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Stamp Fairtex holding the ONE atomweight Muay Thai and kickboxing belts. Photo: ONE Championship.

Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex (right) submits India’s Ritu Phogat with an arm bar at ONE: Winter Warriors in Singapore. Photo: ONE Championship

Angela Lee celebrates after defending her ONE Championship Atomweight title in a bout against Chinese fighter Xiong Jingnan. Photo: ONE Championship

Stamp Fairtex speaks to Mitch Chilson after winning the ONE atomweight Grand Prix. Photo: ONE Championship

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts


American BJJ black belt ‘got a nice spinning kick to the liver’ from kick-boxer Daniels – ‘some sparring sessions are better than others,’ he says
Still, Tonon expects to submit ONE featherweight MMA champion Thanh Le in Friday’s Lights Out main event in Singapore



BJJ black belt Garry Tonon discusses training camp for featherweight title fight with knockout artist Thanh Le at ONE Championship’s Lights Out event on Friday in Singapore.


ONE Championship: Garry Tonon more confident in striking after sparring sessions with Andre Fili, Raymond Daniels

American BJJ black belt ‘got a nice spinning kick to the liver’ from kick-boxer Daniels – ‘some sparring sessions are better than others,’ he says Still, Tonon expects to submit ONE featherweight MMA champion Thanh Le in Friday’s Lights Out main event in Singapore

American BJJ black belt ‘got a nice spinning kick to the liver’ from kick-boxer Daniels – ‘some sparring sessions are better than others,’ he says

Still, Tonon expects to submit ONE featherweight MMA champion Thanh Le in Friday’s Lights Out main event in Singapore