“I’ve been pushing myself” – Healthy Shamil Gasanov says he won’t rest until he ‘avenges’ defeat against Garry Tonon

Featherweight MMA contender Shamil Gasanov of Russia has his eyes on exacting payback on American fighter Garry Tonon at some point in the future. He's vowed to continue pushing for it to happen.

‘The Cobra’ bowed to ‘The Lion Killer’ in their showdown of contenders back in July. He lost by submission through a kneebar in the second round. Making the defeat more stinging, he injured his knee in the process.

The loss cut Gasanov’s ascent after winning in his ONE Championship debut in October 2022 with a first-round submission victory over South Korean Kim Jae Woong.

In an interview with onefc.com, the 28-year-old Dagestani spoke of his goal of getting another crack at Garry Tonon and avenging his defeat.

Shamil Gasanov said:

“These past months have been a challenging period for me as I’ve been recovering from a knee injury. 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.”

But before he gets his hands again on Tonon, Gasanov will channel his focus first on his scheduled bout against South Korean Oh Ho Taek in the headlining match at ONE Fight Night 18 on January 12 in Bangkok, Thailand.

In Oh, 30, Gasanov is facing an opponent who like him is angling to bounce back after losing in his previous fight. ‘Spider’ dropped his match against Akbar Abdullaev by TKO in the first round last March.

ONE Fight Night 18 will take place at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. It will air live in US primetime, free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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Shamil Gasanov happy to be competing in ONE Championship

Russian MMA fighter Shamil Gasanov always wanted to test his skills against the top fighters in the game and he is happy to have found a platform for it in ONE Championship.

‘The Cobra’ made his promotional debut in October 2022. He recorded an impressive submission win over Kim Jae Woong in the first round by way of a rear-naked choke.

In an interview with ONE Championship last year, Gasanov spoke of his debut win and competing in the promotion. He said:

“That victory was extremely important because I wanted to test myself in one of the best leagues in the world and see where I stand…”

Shamil Gasanov’s ONE push, however, hit a snag in his last fight after he lost by submission to American Garry Tonon in their featherweight MMA clash back in July.

It was a defeat that the Dagestani fighter said was tough as he was looking to keep rolling to start his ONE journey. It is something that he is out to make up for when returns to action on January 12 at ONE Fight Night 18 against Oh Ho Taek of South Korea.