Shamil Gasanov says no bad blood with Garry Tonon after ONE Fight Night 34 win: “We have a lot of respect for each other”

Garry Tonon (L) and Shamil Gasanov (R) | Image by ONE Championship
Garry Tonon (left) and Shamil Gasanov (right) [Image courtesy: ONE Championship]

Third-ranked ONE featherweight MMA contender Shamil 'The Cobra' Gasanov cleared the air about any perceived animosity between him and rival Garry 'The Lion Killer' Tonon.

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The pair locked horns anew at ONE Fight Night 34 on Prime Video last Friday, Aug. 1, in an intense three-round battle inside Bangkok's iconic Lumpinee Stadium.

This time, Gasanov was able to avenge his earlier loss to the American and took home the well-deserved unanimous decision victory to extend his active winning streak to five.

Needless to say, the chapter of the Gasanov-Tonon rivalry is far from over, now that they have a victory over each other.

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But despite their intense head-to-head, Gasanov made it clear that there's no bad blood between the two fierce competitors.

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The Dagestan-bred fighter said during the ONE Fight Night 34 post-event interview, via a translator:

"To be honest, I wouldn't say that we're really big rivals or at war or anything. We have a lot of respect for each other. Our team, our coaches have a lot of respect for each other, too."

Shamil Gasanov dictated the pace of the first two rounds using crisp striking on the feet and heavy top pressure on the ground.

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Tonon rallied in the third stanza, securing multiple back takes and threatening with submission attempts. But his late surge went for naught, as judges gave the Russian powerhouse the nod after 15 minutes of action.


Shamil Gasanov says undisclosed injury slowed him down in the final round

Both fighters had their moments in the first two rounds of their rematch, but it was all Garry Tonon in the final five minutes.

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In his post-event interview, Shamil Gasanov acknowledged that he slowed down in Round 3, allowing the American to seize momentum and almost steal the victory.

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Turns out, 'The Cobra' was physically compromised heading into the final frame. Shamil Gasanov said via a translator:

"He [Gasanov] got an injury at the end of the second round. And so in the third round, he was struggling, had to be more reserved, control his energy expenditure. And he knows that he lost the third round."

The full replay of ONE Fight Night 34 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak
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