Martin Nguyen and Garry Tonon have been exchanging barbs for years in the hopes of meeting in the ONE Circle, now they have gotten their wish.
The featherweight MMA contenders will clash at ONE 165 on January 28, as ONE Championship hits the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The winner could secure the first crack at the winner of the upcoming ONE featherweight MMA world title unification battle between champion Tang Kai and interim king Thanh Le.
ONE 165 marks the promotion’s return to “the land of the rising sun” for the first time since 2019.
Nguyen is dreaming of a return to the top of the mountain, after previously reigning as both the ONE featherweight and lightweight MMA world champion.
His reign came to an end when Le rose from the canvas to stop the Aussie in the second round of their 2020 battle.
It could be a case of now or never for the 34-year-old, who has gone 2-2 against some top opposition since losing his title. He outpointed ultra-tough Brazilian Leonardo Casotti in his most recent outing back in February.
Tonon is also plotting a path to redemption, after the American submission ace suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of Le in a 2022 world title tilt.
“The Lion Killer” has since rebounded, however, cementing his status as the #1 contender with a pair of dominant submission wins over Johnny Nunez and the then-undefeated Russian Shamil Gasanov.
ONE 165 is headlined by the highly anticipated flyweight kickboxing super fight between ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Japanese star Takeru Segawa.
In another long-awaited matchup, American MMA star “Super” Sage Northcutt will lock horns with Japanese legend and former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Shinya Aoki.
ONE 165 Announced Bouts
Flyweight Kickboxing: Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Takeru Segawa
Lightweight MMA: Sage Northcutt vs. Shinya Aoki
Featherweight MMA: Martin Nguyen vs. Garry Tonon
