“It’s harder to prepare for a one-trick pony” – Martin Nguyen says prepping for a specialist far tougher than a pure MMA fighter

Martin Nguyen may only see Garry Tonon as a one-trick pony, but ‘The Situ-Asian’ admits that his wizardry in that particular discipline makes him far more difficult to prepare for.

This Sunday, Jan. 28, the former two-division ONE world champion will step inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, for a potential featherweight title eliminator with ‘The Lion Killer.’

Nguyen is coming off an impressive showing against Leonard Casotti in February last year. If he can pass another tough test against Garry Tonon, Nguyen may very well secure himself a shot at the coveted featherweight world championship he once owned.

Appearing on the From The Stands podcast, the No.3-ranked Martin Nguyen suggested that Tonon’s penchant for submission hunting inside the Circle will make for a much more burdensome bout than if he were fighting someone well-rounded.

“I feel that it's tough to say it, but it’s kind of easier to prepare for someone who's more well-rounded,” Nguyen said. “Because, you know, this is what we do as a sport, you know?

“We have to get prepared for the worst-case scenario and whatever positions we get in and wherever the fight may go. We have to be always ready. Hence, I feel that it's much harder to prepare for a one-trick pony.”

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Martin Nguyen vs. Garry Tonon is the battle of two featherweight finishers

Since making the move from BJJ to MMA in 2018, Garry Tonon has secured eight victories inside the Circle, with all but one coming by way of finish. That gives ‘The Lion Killer’ an impressive 88 percent finish rate.

Not to be outdone, Martin Nguyen enters the bout with an 83 percent finish rate with 10 finishes across 12 total victories. That includes eight KOs and two via submission.

Needless to say, something has got to give when the two featherweight superstars square off in a clash with serious title implications on the line.

ONE 165 airs live on Sunday, Jan. 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.