Shamil Gasanov is looking to return to the winner’s column in his upcoming fight, as he wants to redeem himself against the man who served him the only loss of his professional career. “The Cobra” is set to face South Korean submission artist Oh Ho Taek.
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The two will lock horns in a featherweight MMA bout when ONE Championship returns to Prime Video with ONE Fight Night 18 this Friday, January 12, and he’s going to use the main event showdown to remind the world how dangerous he is.
Shamil Gasanov is on the grind after ‘The Lion Killer’ dominated him
Gasanov was riding high with a perfect 12-0 record when he arrived at ONE Championship, and he managed to add to it in his promotional bow against former top-ranked bantamweight MMA contender Kim Jae Woong at ONE on Prime Video 3 in October 2022.
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As a result, the Russian was awarded an incredible opportunity to face top-ranked divisional contender Garry Tonon in his next fight this past July. But “The Lion Killer” ultimately proved too much for him, and he secured a submission win in the second round of their contest at ONE Fight Night 12.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Gasanov admitted that he considered walking away from MMA following the loss. However, he found a reason to keep going. “Yes, on the way home, I thought, ‘That’s it; I’m not going back to fighting again.’ I’d always told myself that if I lost, I would leave the sport,” he said.
“But back home, every kid, every schoolboy on the street, came up to me and asked me when I was going to have a rematch with the American. So now, I simply must have a rematch.” ‘The Cobra’ took the time away from competition to recover and contemplate his next move.
Gasanov is juggling multiple things at once but keeping a balance
With newfound motivation, he returned to training in the hopes of showing everyone that he still has what it takes to reach the top of ONE’s featherweight MMA division. Thankfully, he has his whole team to support this goal, and they are pushing him to be an even better version of himself.
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“These past months have been a challenging period for me as I’ve been recovering from a knee injury,” Gasanov said. “However, I’ve been pushing myself hard to get back in training, as my coach has strictly prohibited me from resting until I avenge my recent defeat. MMA is the central focus of my life, encompassing both my work and my studies.”
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Joyita Das