Shinya Aoki, Garry Tonon Set for Grappling Match at One ‘Dynasty of Heroes’ on May 26

In addition to a full lineup of mixed martial arts bouts, One Championship’s May 26 offering will also feature a grappling bout between Shinya Aoki and Garry Tonon.

The promotion announced the matchup on Tuesday. One “Dynasty of Heroes” takes place at Singapore Indoor Stadium and is headlined by a women’s atomweight championship tilt between Angela Lee and Istela Nunes.

“Shinya Aoki is considered probably the greatest grappler in all of mixed martial arts. His ability to scientifically break down opponents on the mat is nothing short of legendary in the industry,” One Championship CEO Victor Cui said in a release. “At the same time, Garry Tonon is known as one of the most exciting Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors in the world. The Aoki-Tonon grappling super-match is certainly a matchup that fans will not want to miss.”

Aoki, the former One Championship lightweight titlist, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Yuki Nakai and has finished 25 of his 39 career MMA victories by way of submission. “Tobikan Judan” is also a black belt in judo and has won championships in the Dream and Shooto organizations. Aoki saw a nine-bout winning streak come to an end at One Championship “Defending Honor” on Nov. 11, when he suffered a third-round TKO defeat to Eduard Folyang.

Tonon, meanwhile, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Tom DeBlass and Ricardo Almeida. “The Lion Killer” specializes in no-gi grappling and has won multiple titles at the IBJJF and Pan American Championships. He has also competed in submission-only events such as Metamoris, Polaris and the Eddie Bravo Invitational.