Tony Laramie will fight Makoto Takahashi for the Rizin flyweight title this weekend in Funabishi, Japan, a remarkable rise for a man who says he was “being a scumbag” just a few years ago. The 27-year-old Canadian’s path to this moment has been shaped by a turbulent past marked by loss, addiction, and brushes with crime.
Laramie’s older brother, former UFC fighter TJ Laramie, once distanced himself from him during his darkest days. “I’d have stayed away from me, too,” Tony admitted. For much of 2023 and possibly into 2024 and 2025, Laramie was caught up in drinking, drugs, and petty crime while trying to maintain a career in MMA. “Let's just say all of above,” he said.
His early life was rocked by tragedy. When he was six, he lost his older brother, his mother, and saw his father go to prison. “It started with pretty much just drugs and crime, but mainly drugs,” Laramie said of his family’s struggles in Ontario. The death of his brother, who was 14 years older, triggered a downward spiral. Although he was told his brother died of a heart defect, Tony suspects drug use was involved. His mother’s death was drug-related, and his father’s incarceration stemmed from their chaotic lifestyle.
Laramie was raised by his aunt after those losses. He described fighting as the only thing that cared for him and the family he found through the gym. “Fighting saved me in my younger years from living a life of no family or friends or anything like that,” he said. It also pulled him back when his life spiralled again as he got older. “It made me stop doing those poor choices to pursue this sport to the fullest.”
Despite his struggles, Laramie began fighting as a teenager in his hometown of Windsor. His first amateur bout came at 16, and he turned professional a week after his 18th birthday, winning by unanimous decision. From 18 to 21, he earned a record of 4-2 on the regional scene, even as he lived up to his “Wildman” nickname with a reckless lifestyle. One of those losses was to Louis Jourdain, who recently made his UFC debut.
The death of his best friend around the pandemic in 2020 pushed Laramie into one of his darkest stretches. “For two, three years, it was just a s*** show,” he said bluntly. Despite this, he remained undefeated in six fights during that period, which led to his signing with Rizin in 2024.
Laramie’s relationship with his father remains complicated. “He's still around,” Tony said, but added that he has distanced himself to avoid negative influences. “No matter how much you love him, you got to do what's best for yourself at the end of the day.”
Now focused on the flyweight title, Laramie is preparing to face Takahashi in a bout that caps a long journey from chaos to opportunity. The fight is scheduled for Sunday in Japan, which will be Saturday night for fans in the United States. His story, shaped by loss and redemption, has brought him to a rare level of recognition in the sport.
Tony Laramie’s recent winning streak earned him this title shot, marking a significant milestone after years of struggle and poor choices. In a sport where second chances are common, his rise through the ranks shows a fighter determined to leave his past behind and focus on the man in front of him.
According to Yahoo Sports.
