ONE Championship has officially removed Garry Tonon from its featherweight rankings, fueling speculation about the grappling standout’s future with the promotion. Tonon, a member of the renowned Team New Wave under coach John Danaher, has been a prominent figure in ONE’s featherweight division since transitioning to MMA.
With a professional record of 9-1 in MMA and a title shot in 2022, Tonon has been a formidable presence in ONE Championship. However, recent developments have raised questions about his continued association with the promotion.
Rumors of Tonon’s potential move to the UFC have been circulating in the MMA community. During a recent podcast, Eddie Bravo revealed that Tonon had expressed interest in competing in the UFC. “Garry Tonon, man, I talked to him not too long ago, and he said there’s a chance he might go into the UFC,” Bravo stated.
However, the situation is complicated by ONE Championship’s contract structure, which reportedly includes matching rights. This means ONE FC has the option to match any offer Tonon receives from other promotions, potentially keeping him within their ranks.
Adding to the intrigue is Tonon’s recent performance at ADCC, where he suffered an early elimination. In a highly anticipated 77kg opening-round bout against Mateusz Szcenski, Tonon was forced to tap out, ending his tournament run sooner than many expected.
While ONE FC has not officially commented on Tonon’s removal from the rankings or his contract status, the move has intensified speculation about his future. As one of the most creative and dynamic grapplers in MMA, Tonon’s next career move will be closely watched by fans and industry insiders alike.
This news comes on the wings of Marcus Buchecha requesting ONE FC offer him something – because he’s been benched for 13 months.
The situation has led to speculation about ONE FC’s overall strategy and financial health. Some observers suggest that the organization may be shifting its focus away from MMA towards more cost-effective Muay Thai and kickboxing events. This potential pivot comes amidst reported financial challenges for ONE FC, including a fundraising pitch to the Qatar Investment Authority as the company faces a runway expected to expire by Q3 2024.
Rumores of ONE FC’s downfall are further exacerbated by Karate Combat President declaring war on ONE after hearing about their sketchy business practices:
“Let’s say a fighter signs a big contract to fight for $50,000 and $50,000 for their first fight with ONE Championship. Great contract, and most fighters would be very happy with that. But what happens is they keep the fighter so inactive that the fighter starts getting desperate. Then, according to that manager, they’ll often hear, ‘Look, we don’t have the budget for that show, but we can put you in to fight for $10,000 and $10,000.'”
Only time will tell what the future holds for Garry Tonon.
