“I believe he’s made for MMA” - Rahul Raju talks about Garry Tonon’s speed, breaks down fight with Thanh Le

Rahul Raju has shared what makes Garry Tonon different from other grapplers in the MMA world. The featherweight throne will soon be for the taking once more when Tonon takes on ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le in the submission grappling icon's first attempt at a mixed martial arts world title.

The pair will lock horns in the main event of ONE: Lights Out, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, March 11.

Tonon is the No. 2-ranked fighter in the division, just behind South Korea’s Kim Jae Woong. After a successful grappling career that saw him win multiple titles, Tonon transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2018.

Naturally, questions surrounding his ability to take his grappling skills to the cage arose. ONE Championship lightweight veteran Rahul Raju believes Tonon is a special kind of fighter. He explained in a recent interview with ONE Championship what separates Tonon from the pack.

“Man, Garry Tonon, he’s a jiu-jitsu guy. But I believe he has that explosiveness. Normally jiu-jitsu guys are slow, you know. I’m not talking about, like guys who are on steroids, you know, they jump around. Not those guys. The clean guys, they are slow, like Gordon Ryan and all those guys. I feel like they are technical. But Garry Tonon is fast. He moves fast. I believe he’s made for MMA and that he can perform great right now.”

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Rahul Raju claims Garry Tonon’s key to victory is his wrestling

After six fights in the Circle, Garry Tonon is on the cusp of winning an MMA world title. But can he pull it off? Raju thinks this fight will come down to wrestling. He proceeded to break down the fight with Thanh Le:

“In his next fight, it all goes to whether he can take [Thanh Le] down or not. If he can take [Thanh Le] down, I believe he can finish him. But is that possible? I believe wrestling plays a big part. The last fight, he won a decision because he got the takedowns, took the back and controlled. He got some sweeps too.”

The Tonon-Le showdown presents fans the classic grappler vs. striker matchup. For Raju, Tonon’s ability to impose his will is the key to victory.

“As long as he gets on top, I believe he will win the fight. If he can’t do that, if Thanh Le comes in with a great game plan and doesn’t let him get the takedowns, then it will be a problem for him,” said Raju.