Martin Nguyen reveals he got poked in the eye multiple times against Leonardo Casotti

Martin Nguyen revealed that the biggest obstacle in his bout with Leonardo Casotti was overcoming multiple eye pokes from his opponent.

At ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video, ‘The Situ-Asian’ climbed back into the win column with a masterful performance against a late-notice replacement. Originally scheduled to face Shamil Gasanov and then Razhab Shaydullaev, the promotion eventually landed on Brazilian striker and ONE debutant Leonardo Casotti.

Never one to complain or back down, Martin Nguyen was game to take on any man willing to step into the ring with him. ‘The Situ-Asian’ scored a much-needed win, but it didn’t come without some frustration, specifically, a series of eye pokes that Nguyen says he suffered throughout the contest:

“I think the main thing that hurt the most was the eye poke to be honest with you, everything else was just pure adrenaline,” Nguyen told the South China Morning Post. “Just at the end of the second round, I got eye poked again but it was like in his corner, so I just said to him ‘get him to close his fingers.’”

The victory moved Martin Nguyen to 12 wins under the ONE Championship banner and allowed him to maintain his spot as the No. 4 ranked featherweight.

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Martin Nguyen wasn’t the only big winner at ONE Fight Night 7

Martin Nguyen got the victory he needed at ONE Fight Night 7, but he wasn’t the only big winner that evening. Submission superstar Danielle Kelly scored the biggest win of her ONE career so far, besting strawweight standout Ayaka Miura in a catchweight submission grappling contest.

Joining Kelly in the winner’s circle was Muay Thai phenom Tawanchai PK.Saenchai. Defending his ONE featherweight Muay Thai world championship, Tawanchai needed less than a minute to dispatch challenger Jamal Yusupov with an absolutely vicious leg kick that immediately sent Yusupov hobbling for the hills.

Perhaps the biggest winner of the evening was heavy-handed Brazilian star, Fabricio Andrade. Meeting division rival John Lineker in a highly anticipated rematch, ‘Wonder Boy’ delivered another masterful performance that eventually forced Lineker and his team to throw in the towel before the beginning of the fifth and final round.

Andrade’s performance saw him remain perfect in ONE Championship as well as capture the vacant ONE bantamweight world title.

On March 24, ONE will return to the familiar confines of Singapore Indoor Stadium for ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video. The event will feature the return of Rodtang Jitmuangnon and is expected to be headlined by a ONE heavyweight world championship unification bout between reigning world champion Arjan Bhullar and ONE interim world champion Anatoly Malykhin.

ONE Fight Night 8 will be available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.