Martin Nguyen gets replacement opponent at ONE Fight Night 7 on short notice

Former two-division world champion Martin Nguyen is still a go for ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video later this week, but against a late-replacement opponent.

Originally set to take on Russian Shamil Gasanov for the February 24 event in Bangkok, 'The Situ-Asian' will now battle undefeated Kyrgyz prospect Razhab Shaydullaev in a featherweight showdown.

Martin Nguyen, 33, will face Shaydullaev on short notice after Gasanov pulled out last week due to an “infection” stemming from an injury sustained during training. For his scheduled return at ONE Fight Night 7, Martin Nguyen decided to train in the United States at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, away from family in Australia.

He is looking to wiggle away from his current struggles and return to winning consistently. Martin Nguyen hopes to put himself in a better position for a shot at the ONE featherweight world title, which he once simultaneously held with the lightweight gold. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Razhab Shaydullaev is making his ONE debut and bringing with him an impressive 8-0 record, with all of his wins coming by way of finishes.

ONE Fight Night 7 will take place at the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and will be aired live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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Martin Nguyen motivated by his friend Aung La N Sang’s recent success

Veteran Vietnamese-Australian fighter Martin Nguyen has been inspired by the recent success of his good friend Aung La N Sang and wants to replicate it as he seeks to get back to winning consistently.

'The Situ-Asian' returns to action at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video on February 24 in Bangkok. He takes on streaking young fighter Razhab Shaydullaev of Kyrgyzstan in a featherweight showdown.

Martin Nguyen trained at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, U.S.A., along with fellow former two-division world champion Aung La and is deeply encouraged by the ascent of 'The Burmese Python' in recent times. The 33-year-old fighter shared with SCMP MMA in an interview:

“Going into training the next day after seeing him knock out [Yushin] Okami and [Gilberto] Galvao, man you just want to hope for the best and run it along as well.”

Watch the full interview below:

Aung La N Sang defeated Yusin Okami last November and Gilberto Galvao in January by way of a technical knockout in the opening round. He is looking to add a third straight win in his scheduled fight in the United States in May.

Nguyen, like his friend, is out to kick-start a resurgence of his own, beginning at ONE Fight Night 7. He has been having it rough recently, being on the wrong end of a number of knockout losses. His latest setback came in September last year, a TKO loss to Russian newcomer Ilya Freymanov in the opening round.