“There was nothing dangerous in that fight” - Shamil Gasanov proves his worth in debut

Shamil Gasanov continued his unbeaten streak as he picked up a victory in his ONE Championship debut and left a huge impression on the audience. With his submission win over Kim Jae Woong at ONE on Prime Video 3, the Russian-born fighter improved to a perfect 13-0.

'The Cobra' looked nearly flawless in his first bout in ONE. In an interview with ONE Championship, he reflected on the fight:

"There was nothing dangerous in that fight, but then again, you have to understand that this is fighting and anything can happen. Today is my turn, tomorrow it can be him."

The 27-year-old fought like the two-time European Grappling Champion and World Grappling Champion that he is. Gasanov submitted the highly ranked Woong just 2:09 into their fight in a flawless show. This whirlwind performance also earned him a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE.

Gasanov's brother had told him that he must win this bout in two minutes, which the fighter nearly accomplished. In his post-fight interview, the Russian explained:

“My brother’s here, he said ‘You have two minutes. If you will not submit him in two minutes, you will walk back home.’ It doesn’t matter for me. I only have two minutes to put him down, it doesn’t matter what I do to submit him.”

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Shamil Gasanov wants Garry Tonon

After a flawless debut against Kim Jae Woong, 'The Cobra' now wants the No.2-ranked fighter in the featherweight division. Gasanov wants ADCC competitor and grappling great Garry Tonon.

While speaking to Mitch Chilson after the fight, the 27-year-old stated:

“You see, I took a risk in my debut… Garry Tonon, I’ll give you one, I can do the grappling with him as well, it doesn't matter.”

Shamil Gasanov also added that Tonon should be grateful for this callout:

"He should be grateful people are talking about him now, he should thank me. ONE has put him on the shelf, forgot about him already. If he wants to come back, I will help him to retire."

The rising Russian star earned a victory that shook up the featherweight rankings and fans have taken notice. Shamil Gasanov will likely return to the ONE circle in early 2023.