Garry Tonon on why he kept cranking Shamil Gasanov’s knee: “When the referee pulls you off, that's when you stop”

In the world of mixed martial arts, it’s not a fighter’s job to know when an opponent has tapped out to a submission. According to No.2-ranked ONE Championship featherweight MMA contender Garry ‘The Lion Killer’ Tonon, the onus is on the referee to call a halt to the contest.

Tonon’s job is merely to bring his opponent a world of pain.

That’s exactly what he did when he met previously unbeaten Shamil ‘The Cobra’ Gasanov in the ONE Championship ring for his last fight.

Tonon locked horns with Gasanov at ONE Fight Night 12: Superlek vs. Khalilov on Prime Video. The event broadcast live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on July 14.

Tonon caught Gasanov in a nasty knee bar in the second round, and when the Russian refused to tap, ‘The Lion Killer’ was forced to put more pressure on the knee until he did.

In a recent interview with the South China Morning Post, Tonon explained his thought process as he was cranking on Gasanov’s knee.

The American BJJ icon said:

“I think as professionals, what we do and you'll see this when guys are punching or you'll see this when guys are applying submissions. When the referee pulls you off or stops the fight, that's when you stop. I think the opponent knows that, I think you know that, and that's what we got involved in, we're professionals.”

Catch the interview below:

The result was Gasanov screaming in pain and agony before ultimately succumbing to the submission.

Fans in the United States and Canada can witness this epic finish for themselves, as well as the rest of the stacked ONE Fight Night 12 card, via replay on Amazon Prime Video.