“I beat him at what he’s good at” – Garry Tonon responds to Shamil Gasanov’s desire for an immediate rematch

Former ONE world title challenger and current first-ranked ONE Championship featherweight MMA contender ‘The Lion Killer’ Garry Tonon is certainly playing with fire ahead of his showdown with former two-division king ‘The Situ-Asian’ Martin Nguyen this weekend.

The confident Tonon has appeared to look past Nguyen and even took time to respond to a former opponent.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post in a recent interview, Tonon addressed former foe Shamil Gasanov’s recent call out.

‘The Lion Killer’ clapped back at the Russian:

“That makes sense. He was undefeated for a little bit longer than I was, so I see that being a more dramatic thing for him. Also, I beat him at what he’s good at. Shamil’s claim to fame is being an elite-level grappler and I beat him with elite-level grappling. That has something to do with it. That’s why he’s a little bit more sore.”

Tonon defeated Gasanov at ONE Fight Night 12 on Prime Video in July of 2023, winning via second-round submission in an exciting scrap. Gasanov says he wants another crack at Tonon.

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Garry Tonon to face former two-division king Martin Nguyen at ONE 165

‘The Lion Killer’ Garry Tonon can’t look past his upcoming opponent, who is even more dangerous than Gasanov and is a ONE Championship legend.

Tonon is set to face former ONE featherweight and lightweight MMA world champion and current no.3-ranked divisional contender ‘The Situ-Asian’ Martin Nguyen. The two lock horns at ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru, which broadcasts live from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, this Sunday, January 28th.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru live via global Pay-Per-View on watch.onefc.com. Please visit ONE Championship’s official website for more information on how you can watch the event from your location.