Garry Tonon wants Martin Nguyen but would take a title shot at a moment’s notice

Garry Tonon wants to fight Martin Nguyen or the ONE featherweight world champion, Tang Kai, for his next ONE Championship bout.

On July 14, Tonon fought for the second time in 2023 and secured another submission win. ‘The Lion Killer’ was matched up against the number five-ranked Shamil Gasanov, who was emerging as the boogeyman of the division. The American pulled off the slight upset by securing a second-round kneebar.

During his ONE Fight Night 12 post-fight interview, Tonon had this to say about what he wants next:

“I always tell you guys, I want to fight that Martin Nguyen fight at some point. But man, the order doesn't matter so much. Except for my paycheck. So let's get another shot at that championship.”

Tang Kai was expected to defend his featherweight MMA world title for the first time in an immediate rematch against Thanh Le. Unfortunately, the July 14 bout was canceled because Tang suffered a knee injury.

Assuming ONE decides to rebook Tang vs. Le, Garry Tonon could need another win before fighting the winner. ‘The Lion Killer’ revealed his interest in potentially fighting former two-division world champion Martin Nguyen, who is coming off a unanimous decision win against Leonardo Casotti in February.

Regardless of who’s next for Garry Tonon, the grappling specialist has proved he deserves another chance to capture ONE gold. The 31-year-old started his promotional tenure with six consecutive wins, including five inside the distance, before suffering a disappointing 58-second knockout loss against Le for the ONE featherweight world title.

Since then, Tonon’s submission wins against Johnny Nunez and Shamil Gasanov put the division back on notice.