“I'll do whatever it takes to win” - Martin Nguyen relishes underdog role in his career

ONE featherweight contender Martin Nguyen is going into his next fight as the underdog, but that doesn’t seem to faze him one bit.

Initially scheduled to face Dagestani wrestler ‘The Cobra’ Shamil Gasanov this Friday, ‘The Situ-Asian’ Martin Nguyen is now slated to face ONE newcomer, Razhab Shaydullaev, at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade.

Filling in on short notice, Shaydullaev comes into the foray highly recommended by peers and coaches. The 22-year-old prospect holds an unbeaten record of 9-0, finishing all his opponents inside the distance in a variety of ways. A highly aggressive competitor with a solid wrestling game, Shaydullaev will be Nguyen’s toughest challenge yet.

Nguyen, on the other hand, is stepping inside the ring with only one KO victory in the last three years. Ever since he lost the featherweight belt to Thanh Le in October 2020, it’s been a difficult journey getting back into the winning column.

However, despite what some fans might be thinking, Martin Nguyen isn’t intimidated by the numbers because the last time he checked, records don’t win fights.

At the ONE Fight Night 7 pre-event interviews, the former double-world champion stipulated:

“I've been an underdog my whole life. Life has hit me so hard, so I don't really care. When it comes to the odds and all that in a bout, all I have to worry about is me turning up, me having the right preparation, me having everything set in place for when that bell goes, and it's me versus him, I'll do whatever it takes to win.”

Don’t forget to watch ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video this Friday, February 24. North American fans can watch the event live and for free with an active Amazon Prime subscription.

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ONE Championship produces throwback video of Martin Nguyen’s golden years in the promotion

Before Martin Nguyen makes his next walk to the circle, check out some of the highlights of his golden years in ONE Championship.

Not many people remember, but Nguyen was one of the most dominant fighters to compete in the circle. He obliterated opponents left, right, and center with his unique fighting style and knockout power. Eventually, all the victories paid off.

‘The Situ-Asian’ went on to defeat Marat Gafurov and Eduard Folyang for the featherweight and lightweight world titles in 2017. Defying the odds, he became the first-ever double-world champion in promotional history.

Fans hope to see the old version of Martin Nguyen again when he faces Razhab Shaydullaev at ONE Fight Night 7.

Check out the highlight reel below: