The lockdown and quarantine time has affected people differently. With a surplus of time on their hands, people are looking for new ways to spend their days. It has helped people come up with a series of productive ideas, some more than others. For instance, Tom DeBlass and his decision to make a comeback.
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The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu icon is ready to lace up his gloves and enter the cage yet again. The fighter took to social media to announce his return to fighting ways.
As he blows the dust off his gloves, he has decided to return under the promotional banner of the ONE Championship.
“I’d like to announce my official commitment to ONE Championship. Life sometimes has twists and turns we don’t expect. This pandemic brought all of us to places we never expected to be. Yet this pandemic also forced ourself to look hard and long in the mirror at who we are,” said Tom DeBlass in a post on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/tdeblass/posts/10163514759130627
DeBlass has not been too far away from the cage during his retirement, cornering the fifth-ranked featherweight contender, Gary Tonon. He claims that his experience alongside ‘The Lion Killer’ has had a major impact on this decision. In addition, the 38-year-old spent a brief period of time in the UFC.
It has been seven years since DeBlass stepped into the octagon. His last fight saw him take on Jason Lambert at Bellator 108 back in 2013. The fight ended with a first-round knockout in favor of T-Bone.
Tom DeBlass impressed by ONE Championship
T-Bone recalls the time he visited Asia for the first time before starting as Tonon’s cornerman.
“Chatri Sityodtong, approached me like he knew me for years. I was so impressed with him, his staff, and the fans. I watched the event, the fighters, the respect, and I immediately loved MMA again. I loved the code of the Samurai, and no organization emulates this code like ONE,” said DeBlass in his Facebook post.
The decorated BJJ practitioner has been at the top of his game for quite some time. His trophy cabinet is full of awards including three ADCC North American Championships. DeBlass bowed out of MMA with a record of 9-2.
There is no official word regarding what weight class he will be fighting out of. However, it is likely to be either one from the light-heavyweight or heavyweight division.
Despite his time away from the sport, it is no secret that DeBlass will chase gold. And keeping his grappling skills in mind, he is more than equipped to compete against any fighter on the ONE Championship’s roster.
Who do you think will be his first opponent?
