While the ONE Championship fan base prepares for the blockbuster rematch between John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade at ONE Fight Night 7, there is another showdown earlier in the evening with similarly high stakes – but for different reasons.
Former two-division ONE world champion Martin Nguyen (14-6) faces off with rising star Shamil Gasanov (13-0) on the main card at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 24. And while both men’s careers are on different trajectories, the goal remains the same.
In a genuine crossroads bout that could very well grant the winner a ONE featherweight world title opportunity, Nguyen is looking to kick off one more run at the gold he held as recently as 2020. As for Gasanov, he is obsessed with continuing his meteoric rise.
Here, we break down the very real ramifications of this featherweight MMA tilt at ONE Fight Night 7.
Where is Nguyen at?
Nguyen is bona fide ONE legend.
“The Situ-Asian” has been a part of the roster since 2014, but it wasn’t until 2017 that he capped an incredible run of knockouts with the ONE featherweight world championship when he defeated then-unbeaten Russian fighter Marat Gafurov at “ONE: Quest For Greatness.”
Then, the Vietnamese-Australian added the ONE lightweight world title to his collection three months later, as he knocked out Filipino icon Eduardo Folayang at “ONE: Legends of the World.”
After an unsuccessful attempt at collecting a third strap – a split-decision loss to then-bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes – Nguyen eventually forfeited his lightweight belt and went on to retain his featherweight title until a 2020 loss to Thanh Le.
Nguyen has since gone 1-2 in his last three bouts.
He is still ranked No. 4 in ONE’s featherweight division, but the time is now for the famed knockout artist to start another run if he wants to reclaim the gold.
Where is Gasanov at?
At the other end of the spectrum sits Gasanov.
“The Cobra” – which is also ironically the nickname of Nguyen’s old foe, Gafurov – was ultra-impressive in his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 3 back in October, where he made short work of the division’s former top-ranked contender, Kim Jae Woong.
The undefeated Russian needed little more than two minutes to drag “The Fighting God” to the mat and secure a fight-ending rear-naked choke.
With a perfect professional record of 13-0, Gasanov was catapulted straight into the No. 5 spot of the rankings.
Needless to say, expectations are high.
What if Nguyen wins?
If Nguyen can add to his already legendary highlight reel on February 24, he would have a strong case for another shot at the title, which is now held by Chinese superstar Tang Kai.
A win for Nguyen could be the start of a modern-day Cinderella story, as one of the promotion’s greatest champions looks to return to past glory.
In defeat, the Gasanov hype train would be derailed – at least for now. The 27-year-old’s ranking spot would also be left on shaky ground.
What if Gasanov wins?
A win for Gasanov would add a prized scalp to his resume, an all-important signature victory for a star on the rise.
Victory – especially of the stoppage variety – over a big name like Nguyen could well carry enough weight to warrant a title shot, or at the very least a deeper push into the featherweight rankings.
A defeat for Nguyen would shatter his title ambitions, and it would be a long road back for the 33-year-old former champion.
Whichever way the result goes, there will surely be fireworks in the ONE circle as two warriors collide with everything to fight for.
