Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov picked up an important victory this past weekend and he is now setting his sights on fighting a higher-ranked contender in the division.

At ONE Fight Night 24 last Friday on U.S. primetime, the #5-ranked featherweight MMA fighter defended his spot in the division by claiming a hard-earned win over Ecuador’s Aaron Canarte inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Shamil Gasanov challenges Martin Nguyen for a December showdown in Bangkok

Gasanov once again asserted his dominance on the ground with a masterful performance against Canarte, controlling the action throughout their contest this past weekend. Following his win, “The Cobra” expressed his desire to move up in competition starting with a familiar name.

“I’m tired of defending the top 5 from new names, defending my place for the second time. Now I want to move up. I want to fight against the names that are above me. One of the most preferred names is Martin Nguyen,” he said.

He further added, “We were supposed to fight last year. Because of my illness, the fight didn’t happen. I think we should fight here in Bangkok at the end of December. We should fight here. This question should be closed. Martin, I’m waiting for you bro, here in Bangkok in December. Let’s go!” 

Gasanov and Nguyen were scheduled to fight at ONE Fight Night 7 in February last year in what would have been the Russian fighter’s second bout in the world’s largest martial arts organization. However, an injury to Gasanov prevented the fight from happening. They would go on to tread separate paths since then, but it appears they remain in each other’s crosshairs.

Nguyen challenges Gasanov to a showdown at ONE 169

Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen was clearly paying attention to this weekend’s event and Gasanov’s interview, as he immediately made his thoughts known in the comments section.

“No bro, I want to fight you in Atlanta. In a cage. No disrespect, just unfinished business. Let’s see if they can make that happen. @onechampionship,” he commented. “I want earlier (than) Bangkok (in) December!! See you in Atlanta bro @yodchatri”

ONE 169: Atlanta is slated for U.S. primetime on Friday, November 8 inside State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and marks the promotion’s third event in North America. With the card still being built up and both fighters willing to throw down, it would be interesting to see if their wish is granted soon.