“I had a very strong tough opponent” - Shamil Gasanov admits Halil Amir made him work in grueling war at ONE Fight Night 26

29-year-old Russian featherweight MMA star 'The Cobra' Shamil Gasanov turned in an impressive three-round unanimous decision victory over Turkish standout 'No Mercy' Halil Amir last weekend.

But the Tiger Muay Thai product admits it simply wasn't a walk in the park.

Gasanov was dominant in his win at ONE Fight Night 26 on Prime Video, using his grappling to get the better of Amir for the duration of their featherweight MMA contest.

Speaking to veteran MMA reporter Nick Atkin of Bangkok Post, 'The Cobra' expressed his elatement with his performance.

The 29-year-old said:

"I’m really happy, bro. I feel great. I had a very strong tough opponent but we showed where we were better, and that was in the ground game, and we won."

With the win, Gasanov extended his winning streak to three and further strengthened his claim for a world title shot in the near future.

ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov on Prime Video was broadcast live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this past Saturday, December 7. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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What's next for 'The Cobra' Shamil Gasanov?

'The Cobra' Shamil Gasanov is the no.4-ranked featherweight MMA fighter in the world's largest martial arts organization. But he is also likely just one more victory away from securing a shot at the ONE featherweight MMA world title.

Gasanov has put together three straight victories now, and just one more exemplary performance from the 29-year-old could secure him a golden opportunity.

Potential matchups against Thanh Le, Ilya Freymanov, and Martin Nguyen are enough to get him a fast track to the throne.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Shamil Gasanov's next match.