Garry Tonon says Martin Nguyen is “the most important fight of the division”

Garry Tonon believes it’s time for a fight with ONE Championship legend Martin Nguyen.

‘The Lion Killer’ is coming off his eighth mixed martial arts win under the ONE Championship banner, submitting previously undefeated Russian standout Shamil Gasanov in the ONE Fight Night 12 co-main event earlier this month. Speaking with the South China Morning Post about what could potentially come next, Garry Tonon suggested that the timing is perfect for a scrap with former two-division ONE world champion Martin Nguyen.

“Let's do it. You know, like I said, I've been asking for that fight for a long time,” Tonon said. “II think it's the most important fight the division no matter whether he has the title or not.”

‘The Situ-Asian’ recently re-signed with ONE Championship, scoring a contract that will keep him with the promotion for the foreseeable future. And while Martin Nguyen has seen some better days inside the Circle, he is more than ready to make a final run toward the top of the featherweight division. A run that could put him on a collision course with ‘The Lion Killer.’

Nguyen is 12-6 under the ONE banner, but he has dropped three of his last five bouts, including defeats against former featherweight world titleholder Thanh Le, top-five ranked contender Kim Jae Woong, and Russian prospect Ilya Freymanov. In his last appearance at ONE Fight Night 7, The Situ-Asian’ looked like his old self, securing a solid unanimous decision win over Leonardo Casotti.

With both men finding the win column in their last outing, is it finally time to book Garry Tonon vs. Martin Nguyen?

If you missed any of the action or just want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 12 replay can be watched anytime on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.