It's hard to imagine Garry Tonon as anything other than the jiu-jitsu superstar he is today, but once upon a time, even he was just a hopeful amateur who worked hard, believed in himself, and dreamed of one day being as good as his favorite athletes. 

Just as many amateur jiu-jitsu practitioners (and -- let's be honest -- pros too) have seen Tonon make easy work out of world-class competitors and tried to emulate his style, the 'Lion Killer' himself once looked up to black belt Justin Rader. 

And on Friday, March 24, they'll face off in a no-gi superfight at Fight to Win Pro 28. 

Anyone who pays attention to Tonon and Rader's grappling styles can clearly see the similarities between the two athletes. Neither of them is really the type to just pin someone to the mat -- these guys go for the kill.

Shades of Rader in Tonon's game

You can see Rader's early influence on Tonon in the way he passes his opponents' guards. "Most people, when they approach someone's guard, they take the idea of always trying to focus on the legs as far as their main focus on how to pass. That's never been Rader's main focus," says Tonon. "Instead of doing a traditional guard pass, he will typically end in some sort of front head guillotine situation, which allows him to move into submission holds instead of pins." Consequentially, Tonon is now also someone who's always on the hunt for a submission even as he's working on passing guard.


Garry Tonon will face the always dangerous ADCC veteran Justin Rader (top) on March 24. Photo: Mike Calimbas

Still, Tonon learned early on that just because he admired someone like Rader for being one of the earliest success stories in United States no-gi scene, it didn't mean that he should put him on a pedestal. 

Tom DeBlass, who gave Tonon his black belt, taught him from the beginning that doing so would only hold him back. 

"He'd tell me as I'm watching these guys train and compete, I should never look at them as being above me, because one day I was gonna be standing in front of them and I was going to be expected to beat them," says Tonon. As it turns out, the advice was prophetic -- Tonon has now gone up against many grapplers he's studied or looked up to, and he's refused to let admiration get in the way of victory. 

I always would look at those guys and I'd respect what they're doing and try to add those skills to my repertoire, but at the same time never respect them so much that I'd look at what they did and be like, 'Oh man, I'll never be that good.'

While Tonon admits that his match with Rader is a "little more significant" than many of his other fights, he says that he's going to try to treat it the same way he treats his other competitive endeavors. 

It doesn't hurt that the stage he'll be grappling on is a familiar one; Tonon has competed for Fight to Win twice before, and he's thus far undefeated as he looks ahead to his match in Oklahoma City. It certainly helps that the environment the event provides is one that he thrives in. He loves the thrill of "feeling like you're at a rock concert", not only because of the intense atmosphere that Fight to Win Pro has down to a science, but also the sheer number of fans who attend each event thanks to all the local athletes who fight on the cards. "They draw a large crowd, so they can actually make money on ticket sales, which is rare for many of these professional jiu-jitsu events," says Tonon. 


Garry Tonon with teammate Gordon Ryan and grappler / MMA fighter Chael Sonnon. Photo: Chase Smith / FloGrappling

Rising up to the challenge

Although he's hardly going to be out of his element on Friday, Tonon is well aware of the challenges he's going to have to face when he goes up against Rader. He says that his opponent's compact build and short limbs will make submission escapes easier, making it less likely for Tonon to secure a victory with arm lock or one of his signature leg locks. 

But all that means is that he's going to have to think up a different strategy. 

As I attempt to expose limbs, it will be difficult to attack them… [they'll be] slipping out in different directions, and in doing so, an opponent will eventually expose their back. At that point, the plan is to get on the back and strangle.

"No matter how compact somebody is, it doesn't really make a difference once you're on their back," says Tonon. 


Garry Tonon vs Dustin Akbari at Fight To Win 8. Photo: Chase Smith 

As Tonon prepares to face off with Rader, viewers can expect to see a match that is not only as intense and entertaining as every fight these grapplers put on, but also rife with similarities between the two athletes. 

"Justin has a high-energy, fast-paced style," says Tonon. "It's not like he's going to slow down if I start getting into dominant positions -- he's just not that kind of guy. He's going to be constantly moving the whole time. The good news," he laughs, "is I do the same thing."

Make sure you watch Tonon vs. Rader plus many more exciting matches when Fight to Win Pro 28 streams live on FloGrappling at 6:30 pm UTC on Friday, March 24! 

How to Watch Fight To Win Pro 28 -- Garry Tonon vs Justin Rader

On TV: Now available on Roku and Apple TV 4 -- download the FloSports app today.
STREAMING: Available only on FloGrappling via monthly or yearly memberships. A yearly FloPRO subscription provides access to ALL FloSports sites. SIGN UP HERE

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