Martin Nguyen okay to chill before next fight: “I’m just going to enjoy life”

Martin Nguyen will wait for the right opportunity before fighting again.

On February 24, Nguyen returned to the win column with a unanimous decision against Leonardo Casotti at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II. The former two-division world champion reminded fans that there's plenty of gas left in the tank, leading to questions about when he would fight again.

During an interview with the South China Morning Post, Nguyen discussed his plans to enjoy life before returning later this year:

“I’m just going to enjoy life, man. I’m not in any financial burden to keep pushing fights. The division can work off my time. If they want to fight me, then they gotta wait for me to be ready. When I’m ready, I’ll let ONE Championship know but I’m hoping by October I have a fight and be back in fight camp by the end of July.”

Martin Nguyen holds a 12-6 record in ONE Championship, including two wins in his last three fights. ‘The Situ-Asian’ had a legendary run between 2015 and 2017, but there were concerns about his potential to secure another world title. During his win against Leonardo Casoti, Nguyen proved he shouldn’t be underestimated.

Nguyen is currently the number four-ranked fighter in the ONE featherweight division. Once he decides to fight again, there are several options for his next opponent. Assuming the 34-year-old is matched up against a ranked fighter, he could seek revenge in a rematch against Thanh Le or Ilya Freymanov.

‘The Situ-Asian’ could also fight a new opponent, such as Shamil Gasanov or Garry Tonon. It should be noted that the featherweight rankings might change by the time Martin Nguyen decides to return.