Martin Nguyen determined to reclaim world title: “That’s the ultimate goal”

ONE featherweight contender Martin Nguyen is approaching his eighth straight year with ONE Championship. As such, he is determined to restore the good old days when he once dominated over two-world class divisions.

Earlier this year, the 34-year-old Vietnamese Australian fought to stay relevant in the rankings after dropping a win to Ilya Freymanov last September.

However, prior to his fight with Freymanov, he developed a trend of experiencing great wins followed by great losses. So despite earning a much-needed win over Leonardo Casotti at ONE Fight Night 7, his status within the promotion has remained elusive — until now.

Martin Nguyen is scheduled to face the winner between Garry Tonon vs. Shamil Gasanov after ONE Fight Night 12 to compete for a spot in the top 5. Relieved by the news, Nguyen feels like he’s been given a second chance to fight for a featherweight world title.

Speaking further about his status within the division, Nguyen told the South China Morning Post (SCMP):

“I’m still working over here for everyone that’s interested in the division, it’s gonna be a barnburner still of a division. It’s one of the most stacked divisions in ONE Championship. I’m still working over here and when I get back I’m gonna put the work in, I will get my title back, that’s the ultimate goal.”

Within the first half of Nguyen’s early career with ONE Championship, the featherweight division was perhaps the most competitive it’s ever been. To give you a better picture, fans were used to seeing veterans like Bibiano Fernandes and Eduard Folayang dominate the cage with their fighting skills to win world titles.

Nguyen, who was 28 at the time, was among those men who helped mold the division as we know it today. In 2017, he made ONE Championship history by becoming the first-ever featherweight and lightweight world champion after defeating Eduard Folayang and Marat Gafurov.

Therefore, Martin Nguyen is more excited than ever to prove why he still belongs in the featherweight division. This year, he intends to make serious efforts in order to be called a champion once again.