Garry Tonon details working with special needs children and his goal of giving back to the world

Garry Tonon is one of the baddest men on the planet. The multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu and grappling world champion can break your ankle or snap your neck in an instant if you rub him the wrong way.

However, ‘The Lion Killer’ does have a compassionate side to him that many people don’t know about.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Garry Tonon detailed how he previously worked with special needs children when he was younger and how the experience changed him.

“Growing up I did a lot of work with a lot of kids with special needs at different camps. I'd just be there to help and be a little counselor for [them], or whatever the case may be. And I [had] a lot of fun doing that and I think it changed me as a person in a very good way.”

Tonon said his mother worked at a children's specialized hospital when he was a kid, which exposed him to this specific environment and made him a part of the community. He himself has had to deal with ADHD growing up, which helped him relate to the children he was helping.

He encourages everyone to go out and reach out to people who may need a bit of a helping hand.

“So I strongly encourage people to get involved with kids with special needs or adults with special needs or whatever the case may be with those communities. Because I just think it adds a certain level of perspective in everyday life and in talking to people and teaching people and helping people and just understanding people in general.”

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Garry Tonon wants to give back

Garry Tonon may be on the cusp of becoming a mixed martial arts world champion, making history with his showdown against ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le just around the corner. However, the 30-year-old says he also wants to have a positive impact on the world far beyond the cage.

“I think for me a big part of my existence on this planet… is to add something to the world around me in some positive way. Teaching somebody something or giving somebody something or having an impact on somebody and then them eventually being able to give that to somebody else and it going down the line. So whether my name is written in a history book or not, my impact on each person whose life that I touch, my objective would be for that to change the world in that way.”

Garry Tonon faces Thanh Le for the ONE featherweight world title in the main event of ONE: Lights Out, scheduled for Friday, March 11.