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Russian fighter Shamil Gasanov had a different opponent in mind for his second fight in ONE Championship. However, he is still happy and pumped up for the one he drew instead.
'The Cobra' is scheduled to return to action on February 24 at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video in Bangkok. There, he'll face former two-division world champion Martin 'The Situ-Asian' Nguyen.
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Grappling specialist Shamil Gasanov initially called out No. 2 featherweight contender Garry Tonon for a showdown. Despite that, he hardly felt disappointed when he landed Nguyen, as he expects the former divisional king will still give him the top-quality challenge he wants.
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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's dangerous in the standup and in the grappling. I know by heart what Garry Tonon can do in a fight. I'm glad I got Martin. He's a world-famous fighter.”
Shamil Gasanov made an impressive ONE debut last October at ONE on Prime Video 3. He made short work of former top featherweight contender Kim Jae Woong, winning by submission in the opening round of their match.
He is looking to build on the momentum he got from his previous fight to improve on his No. 5 standing in the rankings and position himself for a world title shot in the future.
No. 4 contender Nguyen, meanwhile, seeks to bounce back from the defeat he absorbed in September. For his upcoming fight, he decided to hold 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 be aired live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
Shamil Gasanov aims to represent his village as its first world champion
Russian fighter Shamil Gasanov dreams of becoming a world champion one day, not only for himself, but also for his village in Dagestan.
'The Cobra' continues his campaign in ONE Championship 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 mindset for his upcoming fight remains the same, which is to be the best fighter that he can be in representing his region and his people.
He said:
"We had no athletes in the village who had reached high levels of achievement. We had no world champions, but in other neighboring villages of Dagestan, they had. And I had this idea in my head that we also need a champion. Are we worse than they are?"
Shamil Gasanov impressed in his ONE debut back in October, stopping former top featherweight contender Kim Jae Woong via submission in the opening round.
His win earned him a $50,000 performance bonus, which he intended to give to his parents, who have been supportive of his combat sports pursuits.
