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Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov’s stunning debut against “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong at ONE on Prime Video 3 sent a strong message to the entire featherweight division.

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The Russian grappler endured his South Korean rival’s striking early in their bout at the October 21 spectacle to overpower and submit him midway through the opening round, announcing his arrival on ONE’s global stage in the process.

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But just in case the KO victory, and US$50,000 bonus-winning performance, went unnoticed by some, “The Cobra” decided to accompany it with a stern warning to all competitors during his victory speech.

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Shamil Gasanov had an online scuffle with Tonon

Everybody smash! Everywhere! Just give me five minutes. That’s all I need,” the Peresvet Fight Team representative told Mitch Chilson. Gasanov went on to name-dropped both newly crowned ONE Featherweight World Champion Tang Kai and multiple-time BJJ World Champion Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon when discussing who is on his radar.

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The latter, Tonon, immediately responded to the callout with a couple of teasing messages on his Instagram page.

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He first shared a clip of Gasanov’s interview, asking his followers to translate it. And later that night, he posted another video with a caption aimed at belittling the Russian.

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Gasanov hit back in fast fashion by claiming that if he were to ever cross paths with “The Lion Killer” inside the Circle, it would likely be the last time the grappling legend competed.

Shamil Gasanov went all-out rogue

He is nothing more than an American trash talker. If he thinks he can break off my leg, I can rip his head off and mail it back to the States after the fight. He should be grateful people are talking about him now. He should thank me,” he stated.

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ONE has put him on the shelf, [and] forgot about him already. If he wants to come back, I will help him to retire.

The newly awarded #5-ranked featherweight contender has got his tenure in ONE off to a perfect start, and he clearly has his sights set on the divisional crown.

What comes next is unclear for the moment, but fans would be wise to watch out for where “The Cobra” strikes next.

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Souvik Roy

1,315 Articles

The coveted scrap between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002 was when I realized the passion for combat sports within my family. My interest in combat sports began watching scripted pro wrestling shows. It was my father who directed me towards combat sports and it wasn’t until the late 2010s that I discovered the world of MMA and the UFC. Like many of you, I too, tuned in for the infamous Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor bout live on October 6, 2018. Being an ardent fan of the UFC (and Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier), I was always looking to have conversations about the same with others. But to my disappointment, I hardly found any followers of the sports to interact with. So I took it upon myself to do my part in popularizing the thrill and the agony behind the purest form of unarmed combat. At EssentiallySports, I try to bring the readers closer to the athletes and focus my coverage on exploring the human side of these martial artists. I’m a musician during my time free from reporting MMA. I operate as the lead vocalist of a rock band that aims to make their mark among the audiences with their original alternative-hard rock songs. You can hit me up at-

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Rohini Kottu

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