“He’s a well-rounded fighter” – Shamil Gasanov in awe of Oh Ho Taek’s versatile skillset

Shamil Gasanov hopes to make the most of his main event slot at ONE Fight Night 18, but the Russian contender knows he cannot underestimate what Oh Ho Taek brings to the ONE Championship circle.

The No.4-ranked contender dukes it out against the South Korean standout at ONE’s first event of a stacked 2024, broadcasting live in American primetime from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium this Friday, January 13.

Following a career-first defeat to former ONE featherweight MMA world title challenger Garry Tonon in July last year, the Peresvet Fight Team and Tiger Muay Thai representative hasn’t taken any shortcuts for what would be another tough assignment.

He’s been on his toes for much of his fight camp, and he recognizes Oh’s adaptiveness based on footage from previous fights. In a recent interview with the promotion, the 32-year-old provided his take on his rival’s all-around arsenal.

Shamil Gasanov said:

“He’s a well-rounded fighter with a combination of striking, grappling, and submission skills.”

True enough, the Extreme Combat representative is a jack of all trades. He proved just that in his debut outing against heavy-hitter Ryogo Takahashi at ONE on Prime Video 2 in October 2022.

However, ‘Spider’ fell short in his quest to enter the featherweight rankings following an opening-round loss to Akbar Abdullaev last year.

With a defeat fresh on both athletes’ minds and records, they will come into this headliner contest ready to get themself back into winning ways.

For his part, though, Shamil Gasanov is pumped to put his defeat to Tonon to bed with an opportunity to climb up the rankings there for the taking.

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 18 card live and for free in American primetime this Friday.

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Watch: Shamil Gasanov’s blitzing debut against Kim Jae Woong

Russian destroyer Shamil Gasanov didn't leave any second guesses as to what his bread and butter is when he made his promotional bow against ‘The Fighting God’ Kim Jae Woong at ONE on Prime Video 3 in 2022.

Shamil Gasanov instantly put Kim into reverse gear and shot in for a double-leg takedown. Though the South Korean initially defended well, ‘The Cobra’ quickly transitioned to his back and wrapped his arms and legs around his opposite number to see off the contest via a rear-naked choke inside the first round.

That statement performance instantly pushed him into the charts and upped his slate to 13 victories. On top of that, the Dagestani-based fighter pocketed a hefty US$50,000 performance bonus.