“I’d like to see who’s better on the ground” – Oh Ho Taek eagerly waiting for grappling exchange against Shamil Gasanov

South Korean featherweight MMA fighter Oh Ho Taek knows that he is up against a noted grappler in Shamil Gasanov in his upcoming fight. However, he is confident of his own ground game that he will be comfortable if ever the match goes in that direction.

‘Spider’ will battle ‘The Cobra’ in the headlining contest at ONE Fight Night 18 on Prime Video on January 12 in Bangkok, Thailand. It leads the nine-fight offering, which serves as ONE Championship’s first U.S. primetime event of the year, happening at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Oh Ho Taek said that for the fight, he will be banking on his versatility as a fighter, which includes a ground game which he believes can hold its own against that of Dagestani wrestler Gasanov.

The 30-year-old Extreme Combat affiliate shared to ONE Championship in an interview:

“I'll want to take it to the ground once my body warms up, and I'd like to see who's better on the ground, as it's both of our strengths.”

Oh Ho Taek is coming off a TKO loss in his previous fight in March last year, dealt by No. 5 featherweight contender Akbar Abdullaev of Kyrgyzstan. The defeat halted his ascent in the promotion, following the split decision victory he had in his debut outing in September 2022.

It is the same situation that Russian Gasanov will be coming from after he lost by submission to American Garry Tonon back in July. It set him back in his ONE journey after making a grand entrance in October 2022, when he submitted Oh’s compatriot Kim Jae Woong in the opening round.

Gasanov is currently the No. 4 contender in the featherweight MMA division.

ONE Fight Night 18 will air live in U.S. primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Shamil Gasanov expecting to be tested by Oh Ho Taek at ONE Fight Night 18

Russian fighter Shamil Gasanov is aware of the varied skills of South Korean Oh Ho Taek and is coming into their scheduled fight later this week expecting to be thoroughly challenged.

The two elite featherweight MMA warriors headline ONE Fight Night 18 on Prime Video that will go down on January 12 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Speaking to ONE Championship, Gasanov said he and his team have sized up Oh Ho Taek and found him to be a well-rounded fighter. That said, they have crafted their game plan for wherever direction the fight will go.

‘The Cobra’ said:

“I couldn't identify any particular strengths in him, as he is a well-rounded fighter. He can KO, he can submit.”

The Gasanov-Oh showdown carries a lot of significance for both fighters as they are coming off losses in their previous matches. A win, too, can pad their respective push to position themselves for a shot at the world title down the line.