Tonon Stays Undefeated With Dominant Win Over Matsushima

MMA stars Garry Tonon and Koyomi Matsushima fight at ONE: BIG BANG

Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon took a big step toward a ONE Featherweight World Title fight with a dominant grappling display against #3-ranked Koyomi “Moushigo” Matsushima.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who came into the bout as the #5-ranked featherweight, had complete control of his Japanese opponent for most of the contest at ONE: BIG BANG, winning by clear decision after three rounds.

Koyomi Matsushima Garry Tonon BIG BANG 1920X1280 9.jpg

It did not take “The Lion Killer” much time to shoot for a takedown, and though Matsushima sprawled hard to defend, Tonon stayed tight to him and soon scrambled to take the back.

From there, the American locked up a body triangle and started threatening with his trademark submission – the rear-naked choke.

For the next three minutes, Matsushima was forced to defend. On two occasions, Tonon worked an arm under his rival’s chin, but he could not force the tap.

Koyomi Matsushima Garry Tonon BIG BANG 1920X1280 8.jpg

The second round started with some striking, but more Tonon dominance followed when he hit a double-leg takedown and passed to the back again.

This time, he trapped Matsushima’s right arm with his right leg, but the stoppage continued to elude him.

Despite the Japanese athlete’s impressive defensive display, he could do little to turn the bout in his favor. His only offense before the end of the second round came when he worked to top position and struck with elbows and a knee in the final seconds.

Koyomi Matsushima Garry Tonon BIG BANG 1920X1280 24.jpg

Tonon began the final stanza with a leg lock attempt, but “Moushigo’s” defense was on point once again.

The Japanese star invited Tonon to stand with him for the rest of the match, but he could not land enough strikes to threaten a finish or swing the contest in his favor.

Meanwhile, the American held his own on the feet and did a good job of circling away from danger as he cruised to the final bell.

Koyomi Matsushima Garry Tonon BIG BANG 1920X1280 4.jpg

All three judges scored the bout for Tonon, who improved to 6-0 as a mixed martial artist and called out ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le after his hand was raised.

Whether he gets a shot at the gold is uncertain, but “The Lion Killer” definitely improved on his #5 position in the divisional rankings.

Read more: ONE: BIG BANG – Full Results And Highlights For Grigorian Vs. Kondratev

More in News

Stamp Fairtex Alyse Anderson ONE Fight Night 10 56
Stamp Fairtex Alyse Anderson ONE Fight Night 10 59
Stamp Fairtex vs. Ham Seo Hee
Danielle Kelly stands in the ring at ONE Fight Night 7
Tawanchai PK Saenchai Davit Kiria ONE Fight Night 13 90
Martin Nguyen’s reactions after his win against Leonardo Casotti at ONE Fight Night 7
John Lineker Kim Jae Woong ONE Fight Night 13 57
Stephen Loman celebrates his win
Eduard Folayang makes his way to the Circle at ONE on Prime Video 5
Superlek Kiatmoo9 Rodtang Jitmuangnon ONE Friday Fights 34 30
Seksan Or Kwanmuang Amir Naseri ONE Friday Fights 34 3
Rodtang Jitmuangnon Superlek Kiatmoo9