“Going to be a banger for sure” – Martin Nguyen says clash with Garry Tonon at ONE 165 will be an instant classic

One of the biggest matchups on deck for ONE Championship’s return to Japan sees former featherweight champion Martin Nguyen back in action.

At the Ariake Arena on January 28, he will take on former title challenger and No.1-ranked contender Garry Tonon, who has posted together back-to-back wins.

The stakes don’t get much higher for both men, with a title shot likely on the line in this matchup given their stature in the division.

Nguyen is well aware of this but he is excited to test himself against the submission specialist in an attempt to work his way back to the top.

The former champ told the South China Morning Post that he is pumped up for this clash of contenders in just over a week's time:

“We both had our shots at the titles or own the titles and we want to get back up there and, you know, try to regain that title or get that title. So this fight with me and Garry, it's been a long time coming and it's definitely going to be a banger for sure.”

Watch the full interview below:

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There’s everything to play for at ONE 165 for Martin Nguyen

Given his stature as the former champion, it was never going to take too many wins for Martin Nguyen to get back into the title picture.

That being said, it’s been several years since his title reign and results haven’t been consistent for him since that point.

His win over Leonardo Casotti at ONE Fight Night 7 showed Nguyen using his experience and skillset to pick up a much-needed win with a convincing and calculated performance.

All of that gets instantly dialed to the max when you throw in an opponent like Tonon and the stakes of a title shot, making it sink or swim for the former champion in what could be his last chance to reclaim the gold.

ONE 165 airs live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.