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Shamil Gasanov hopes there’s a chance he can make a quick turnaround to fight at ONE 166: Qatar.
On Friday, January 12, ONE Championship will start 2024 with an event inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. ONE Fight Night 18 is just the start of what should be a special year for the promotion, as they will travel to Japan and Qatar within the first three months.
ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 was moved from the ONE Fight Night 18 main event to the ONE 165 main event against Takeru Segawa. As a result, Shamil Gasanov and Oh Ho Taek were upgraded to Friday’s headliner.
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During an interview with ONE, Gasanov had this to say about wanting to potentially fight on January 12 at ONE Fight Night 18 and March 1 at ONE 166: Qatar:
“Yes, very much, [I would love to fight in Qatar]. I think a lot of people would come to support me from Dagestan and Dubai. I even have already prepared a speech for this tournament. But for now, I have to think about the Korean - this guy is not so easy.”
ONE Fight Night 18 will air live on US Primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America
Shamil Gasanov eyes future rematch with Garry Tonon
In July 2023, Shamil Gasanov’s run to the ONE featherweight MMA world title was halted when Garry Tonon submitted him in round two at ONE Fight Night 12. Gasanov is only 28 years old, but the defeat against Tonon had negative mental effects as it was the first of his professional MMA career.
During an interview with ONE, Gasanov revealed he considered retiring after facing Tonon. ‘The Cobra’ followed up by calling for a rematch against the submission wizard:
“Back home, every kid, every schoolboy on the street, came up to me and asked me when I was going to have a rematch with the American. So now, I simply must have a rematch.”
Before worrying about Garry Tonon, Shamil Gasanov must get through Oh Ho Taek. The South Korean featherweight holds a promotional record of 1-1 and has shown flashes of world title potential. Oh now has an opportunity to put the entire division on notice.
