WATCH: Garry Tonon vs. Shinya Aoki



WATCH Takeover: Garry Tonon - Episode One!



By now you may have heard that Garry Tonon's long-rumored transition from Brazilian jiu-jitsu to mixed martial arts finally came true last week when the ADCC veteran revealed he had officially signed a multi-fight deal with Asia's No. 1 MMA promotion, One FC.The promotion has a lengthy history with elite grapplers -- One FC champions Roger Gracie and Ben Askren come to mind -- so the move isn't a complete shock. Tonon even took on No. 1 welterweight contender Shinya Aoki in a sub-only grappling match inside the One FC cage earlier this summer."I am thrilled to be able to finally announce my arrival in ONE Championship," Tonon said in his official statement on OneFC.com. "It is the natural evolution in my career as a grappler."I have achieved all that I have set out to do in the world of jiu-jitsu, and now I am ready to take on a new challenge."Tonon has been talking about his MMA debut for years so naturally I was a little skeptical on how serious he was about the move. After all, Tonon is one of the most popular grapplers around and the pro jiu-jitsu circuit has never been more lucrative than it is right now.In fact, Tonon pocketed a grand prize of $20,000 at EBI 13 on Sunday night and was among BJJ's highest earners in 2016 according to BJJHeroes. So if one of the most financially successful grapplers is making the jump to MMA, what does that mean for professional grappling and how do we keep our favorites stars from leaving?Tonon after winning the Fight to Win Pro lightweight title belt Photo: Mike CalimbasFor as long as us in the BJJ community can remember, MMA has been stealing our most promising athletes right out from under us, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Demian Maia, Jacare Souza, Vitor Belfort, BJ Penn, Gilbert Burns, and most recently Mackenzie Dern. The list goes on and on. All started their careers with success in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and at one point or another left the sport for greener pastures.Some ascended in the world rankings. Some won World Championship titles, while others left even before they could. When Fabricio Werdum left BJJ in 2004, the money simply wasn't there in the sport.Jiu-jitsu fighters had no recourse for making a living. Sponsorships were non-existent and the sport was still tiny even in its home country of Brazil. MMA was the only route for these champions to provide for themselves. The opportunities that MMA provided elite jiu-jitsu athletes was too good to pass up.But in 2017, the landscape has changed. Now MMA is seeing its sponsorships dry up, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu is enjoying a revolution that is working toward paying its athletes better than it ever has before. For example, Fight to Win Pro will pay out $1 million to its athletes this year -- a reality that Werdum couldn't dream of 10 years ago.Garry Tonon faces off with his nemesis Dillon Danis Photo: Attack The BackDespite this growth, the top stars in MMA are without a doubt still earning more than the top BJJ players. And it's not to say we'll never see Tonon or Dern compete in BJJ again, but certainly we'll see less of them as each ascends the ladder of MMA stardom (as we know both will).While moving from grappling to MMA does seem like a natural progression for some fighters, what if our athletes didn't need to leave the sport they love?Mixed martial arts can be a violent and barbaric sport that almost certainly leaves its participants with some sort of lasting harmful effects. Getting punched in the face is bad for your brain, no matter how you cut it. Although ​even I​ have an extended appetite for such violence, is it acceptable that our sport's biggest stars are willing to pay that price?What if grappling could sustain the stars it produces and launch them into the upper echelon of sports notoriety without the risk of long-term damage to their brains?It's a nice thought, but until that day, jiu-jitsu won't be able to penetrate the mainstream if it can't get stars like Tonon and Dern to stick around.