Garry Tonon says Shamil Gasanov is not your typical Dagestani-type wrestler

Former ONE featherweight world title challenger Garry Tonon does not classify Shamil Gasanov as a prototypical pressure-type wrestler from Dagestan.

On the contrary, ‘The Lion Killer’ believes his upcoming opponent is a better and more skilled version of the feared Russian-born warriors.

Ahead of their pivotal featherweight clash in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 12: Superlek vs. Khalilov on Prime Video this Friday, Tonon candidly shared what makes Gasanov more dangerous than the usual fighters from his region:

“I actually think he's a little different than some of the Dagestani Russian wrestling types because he tends to favor submitting people over beating them up on the ground, which tends to be more of what those guys do.”

The multi-time BJJ world champion furthered:

“They submit people, for sure, but it's usually a byproduct of grinding somebody out and then submitting them. To me, this guy seems much more focused on submitting."

MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, of course, popularized this suffocating fighting style, paving the way for more Dagestani athletes in MMA promotions across the globe.

To this day, a lot of fighters have had a hard time dealing with Russian wrestlers, who physically impose their will by making opponents carry their weight and pounding them to oblivion on the ground.

ONE Championship is also home to several athletes coming from the same background, with the likes of Murad Ramazanov and Saygid Izagakhmaev, among others.

While Gasanov possesses the same skills, it appears he’s cut from a different cloth given his penchant for chasing submissions instead of TKO or decision victories ‘The Cobra’ forced nine of his 13 opponents to tap, including Kim Jae Woong in his last Circle appearance last year.

Meanwhile, Tonon will be extremely wary of what Gasanov brings to the table and will look to end his undefeated streak in a few days.

ONE Fight Night 12 will air live in US primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on July 14. The entire event is available free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America.