Garry Tonon hopes rematch with Thanh Le happens “sooner rather than later”

Second-ranked ONE featherweight fighter Garry Tonon still has a bone to pick with the division’s number one contender, Thanh Le. After all, the Vietnamese-American striker handed him the lone blemish in his spectacular mixed martial arts career so far.

Moments after taking Shamil Gasanov’s leg and undefeated record at ONE Fight Night 12 last weekend via a gnarly kneebar, Tonon made it clear he still wants to run it back with Le somewhere down the line.

‘The Lion Killer’ said in his post-event interview with the South China Morning Post:

“Yeah, so of course I'll need to get that loss back. You know, hopefully, you know that that will happen sooner rather than later.”

After a stellar 6-0 start in MMA, Tonon earned himself a shot at 26 pounds of gold at ONE: Lights Out last year against the then-featherweight kingpin Thanh Le.

The BJJ specialist came out of the gates hot and held his own against the heavy-handed Le in the striking department. However, things took a turn for the worst when Tonon went to his bread and butter and dove for Le’s legs.

The 31-year-old submission specialist went straight for the heel hook, but the former champ had other plans and blasted his undefended face with heavy shots, rendering him unconscious.

After going back to the drawing board, Tonon returned to his winning ways this year, submitting Johnny Nunez and most recently, Gasanov.

The Evolve MMA and Team Renzo Gracie standout has made it clear that he wants another title shot and also aired his desire to fight former two-division world champion Martin Nguyen.

Nevertheless, all signs point to Tonon and Le’s paths crossing anew soon, given their status atop the 155-pound ranks.

Relive Tonon’s latest victory by watching the replay of ONE Fight Night 12. The full event is available free of charge for Prime Video members in North America.

Watch Tonon’s full interview with SCMP MMA below: