Watch: The meteoric rise of Garry Tonon in ONE Championship

Garry Tonon, one of the best grapplers in the world today, has enjoyed a near-perfect transition to MMA.

Granted, there have been a lot of Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champions who have ventured into cage fighting. However, few can compare to the success Tonon has had. The only feather missing in Tonon's cap is an MMA world championship. On March 11, at ONE: Lights Out, he will finally get a shot at winning one.

Known as a prominent and original member of the famous grappling team, the 'Danaher Death Squad', Garry Tonon gained fame for his leg-lock game in submission-only matches. Alongside fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Gordon Ryan, he revolutionized the often frowned upon leg lock attacks in jiu-jitsu competitions. Under the tutelage of martial arts legend and jiu-jitsu master John Danaher, Tonon became an icon in grappling.

The undefeated American has developed an MMA game that's difficult to deal with. Knowing full well that no one would dare grapple with him on the ground, Tonon found space to experiment with his striking. He often goes for big strikes like head kicks and overhands, knowing full well that if he gets taken down, he can handle himself comfortably.

This makes him unpredictable and dangerous on the feet. His opponents are always guessing where Tonon decides to take the fight. He's becoming dangerous in all aspects of the game.

Watch Garry Tonon's rise in ONE Championship below:

---

Garry Tonon finally gets his shot at ONE Championship gold

On March 11, at ONE: Lights Out, Garry Tonon will finally challenge for the ONE featherweight strap. Against reigning champion and knockout artist Thanh Le, Tonon has to dig deep into his bag of tricks if he is to come out on top.

The well-rounded Le is cooking up a sound gameplan to deal with a specialist like Tonon. In an interview with ONE, the champion shared his thoughts on the upcoming bout, saying:

“I believe that both of us have that [specialist tag] in opposite ends of the spectrum. And we're not slouches on the other side of the coin either. So I think it's going to be a really interesting matchup for the fans because it is traditional grappler versus striker, but he’s got some striking and I've got some grappling. So if it touches the ground for two seconds, I'm not getting subbed. If he stays standing and keeps his hands up for two seconds, he's not getting knocked out.”

Notably, Le has been training with Ryan Hall, a grappling phenom in his own right, in preparation for the bout against Garry Tonon.