Russian fighter Shamil Gasanov had a different opponent in mind for his second ONE Championship fight. However, he is still happy and excited about the one he drew in his place.
‘The Cobra’ is scheduled to return to action on February 24 at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video in Bangkok. There, he will face former two division world champion Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen.
Grappling specialist Shamil Gasanov initially called up No. 2 featherweight contender Garry Tonon for a matchup. Despite that, he was hardly disappointed when he landed Nguyen, as he hopes the former king of the division will still give him the top-quality challenge he desires.
In an interview with ONE Championship, he said:
“To be honest, no. [not disappointed]. Martin is a bigger name, he was a two-weight champion. He is dangerous in standup and grappling. I know by heart what Garry Tonon can do in a fight. I’m glad to have Martin. He is a world famous fighter”.
Shamil Gasanov made an impressive ONE debut last October on ONE on Prime Video 3. He made short work of former featherweight contender Kim Jae Woong, winning via submission in the first round of their match.
He is looking to build on the momentum he gained from his previous fight to improve on his No. 5 ranking position and position himself for a world title shot down the road.
Meanwhile, No. 4 contender Nguyen is looking to bounce back from the loss he absorbed in September. For his next fight, he decided to camp in the United States at Kill Cliff FC in Florida.
ONE Fight Night 7 will take place at the famous Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and will stream live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
Shamil Gasanov aspires to represent his people as their first world champion
Russian wrestler Shamil Gasanov dreams of one day becoming a world champion, not only for himself, but also for his people in Dagestan.
‘The Cobra’ continues his ONE Championship campaign on February 24 at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video in Bangkok in a featherweight clash against former two-division world champion Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Shamil Gasanov shared that his mentality for his next fight remains the same, which is to be the best fighter who can represent his region and his people.
He said:
“We did not have athletes in the village who had reached high levels of performance. We did not have world champions, but in other neighboring villages in Dagestan they had them. And I had this idea in my head that we also need a champion. Are we worse than we are?”
Shamil Gasanov impressed in his ONE debut in October, stopping former featherweight contender Kim Jae Woong via submission in the first round.
His victory earned him a $50,000 performance bonus, which he intended to give to his parents, who have supported him in his combat sports activities.