Yuri Simoes believes Garry Tonon's BJJ will be the difference against Thanh Le 

Yuri Simoes believes Garry Tonon will become ONE featherweight world champion when he takes on divisional king Thanh Le in the main event of ONE: Lights Out on March 11.

The Brazilian grappler is confident that ‘The Lion Killer’s elite grappling skills will power him to a triumphant victory in this return to the Circle at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. However, Simoes pointed out that the No. 2-ranked fighter must keep an eye on Thanh Le’s striking.

Ahead of Tonon’s first world title fight, Yuri Simoes told ONE:

“Yeah, I mean, both are really good martial artists. Thanh Le's also a very good striker. I think he's well-around but obviously more of a striker. But I really want Garry Tonon because at the end of the day, you know, he's a grappler, he's a jiu-jitsu guy. And yeah, well, I would like to see jiu-jitsu win, you know?”

Yuri Simoes is part of a talented group of Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners, including Tonon and Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida, who got their MMA careers off and running at the Singapore-based organization.

Tonon’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling skills have been the backbone of his success in the Circle. The American athlete’s record currently stands at 6-0, while ‘Buchecha', who has hinted at an April return, is on a 2-0 run.

Although Yuri Simoes hasn't enjoyed the same winning start as his Brazilian jiu-jitsu compeers, the two-time ADCC world champion is fired up to earn his first MMA win at ONE: Full Circle next Friday, February 25.

The 31-year-old Rio de Janeiro native will go toe-to-toe with debutant Daniyal Zainalov on the lead card of ONE’s fourth show of the year.

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Yuri Simoes expects tough challenge against Zainalov

After succumbing to a decision defeat to Fan Rong at ONE: Inside The Matrix III last year, Yuri Simoes has been working hard on a strategy to achieve his first victory in the Singapore-based promotion.

In Zainalov, he'll face an opponent fluent in striking and grappling, similar to his previous assignment. The Brazilian is determined to show the world why he deserves a spot in the middleweight rankings of the world’s largest martial arts organization.

“He's a very powerful opponent. I know he has a good karate or kickboxing style. He likes to kick a lot and all. He's good on his feet and stuff. But I'm really just, I watch a lot of that in the, like, right when I was assigned for the fight. And then after that, I just shifted the focus on what I'm going to do on my game. On the things that I have to focus on for myself. Of course, it's good to keep a couple of things in mind. But it's just basically the same mindset I use for my jiu-jitsu competition. I just tried to focus on what I can do to improve myself, you know? because I think at the end of the day, that's all that matters.”