In the main event at Polaris 3, former WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares reverts back to his grappling origins to face Garry Tonon in a submission only match. This fifteen minute match rounds up a stacked 8-fight PPV main card. Garry Tonon is unbeaten in his Polaris tenure, having defeated two MMA stars in earlier shows and Rousimar Palhares will be making his long-awaited return to the mat, in this his first grappling match in a number of years.
As far as grappling goes, there are few matches as exciting to be made as this one. Tonon, alongside his teammate Eddie Cummings, is seen as the most dominant leglock specialist in the world of submission grappling and Rousimar Palhares has held the same honor in MMA circles for a decade now.
Polaris 3: Tonon vs. Palhares airs live from Poole, England this Saturday, April 2. The main card airs on PPV with a fight time of 6:30 p.m. GMT / 1:30 ET.
How do these two stack up?
Palhares: 36 years old | 5’7″ | Black belt under Murilo Bustamante
Tonon: 24 years old | 5’10” | Black belt under Tom DeBlass
What have these two done recently?
Palhares W – Jake Shields (SUB) | W – Jon Fitch (SUB) | W – Steve Carl (SUB)
Tonon: W – Josh Hayden (SUB) | W – Marcin Held (SUB) | W – Javier Vasquez (SUB)
How did these two get here?
The transition back to grappling for Rousimar Palhares has been one of necessity. Since being suspended by WSOF for unsportsmanlike conduct, Palhares has been on the bench and has finally chosen to step back into the limelight with a grappling match against Tonon. Palhares is no stranger to competitive BJJ; Toquinho took silver at ADCC 2011, which like Polaris, also took place in the UK.
Garry Tonon is the rock star of grappling. Over the last three years, Tonon has garnered lots of attention for his fan-friendly style. After first rising to widespread notoriety for a spectacular match with Kron Gracie, Tonon has manged to win 3 Eddie Bravo Invitational titles, in addition to taking home big wins at Metamoris and the first two Polaris shows.
Why should you care?
This match will crown the leglock king of the universe.