"Sign of a true grappler " - ONE Championship peeks at Garry Tonon's cauliflower ears ahead of ONE 157

Garry Tonon is a living legend in grappling, winning multiple world titles in the sport and getting cauliflower ears in the process.

On Instagram, ONE Championship shared a clip where Michael Schiavello examines Tonon’s ear and rated it as a nine out of ten.

The caption read:

“Sign of a true grappler 😬 Garry Tonon welcomes Tye Ruotolo to the Circle on 20 May in a submission grappling match for the AGES 🔥 @garrytonon”

Cauliflower ears are a common trait that grapplers have because of their constant work on the mats. In the comments section, one fan explained how a fighter gets cauliflower ears. He said:

“You can get cauliflower by grinding your own head into someone’s side, which is part of good head positioning. You can get cauliflower ear by winning a grappling exchange.”

Meanwhile, another fan shared prominent names who also have cauliflower ears, showing just how dangerous they can be. The fan said:

“Khabib, DC, Jon Jones, McGregor, Stipe, all have the ear and hand them out to others. Only exception is Fedor. If you see someone with that ear that means you’re getting torn up.”

---

Garry Tonon is back to his grappling roots at ONE 157

Tonon appeared in the first-ever submission grappling contest in ONE Championship opposite Shinya Aoki in 2017. Since then, he has competed primarily in MMA, collecting five straight wins before absorbing his first loss at the hands of ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le.

Now, he’s back to the sport that has made him a legend in martial arts.

'The Lion Killer' will face BJJ prodigy Tye Ruotolo in a submission grappling match at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot on May 20. Ruotolo is a representative of Atos Academy under the guidance of another legend, Andre Galvao.

Ruotolo’s twin brother, Kade, will also be in action in the event, going up against Tonon’s former opponent, Aoki.

The 30-year-old American has been winning world titles since the Ruotolo brothers were five years old. Despite transitioning to MMA in ONE Championship, Garry Tonon has used his grappling prowess to rise in the rankings.

He should still be able to channel his vast experience in the sport when he returns to action at ONE 157.