Martin Nguyen says he patiently waited for the right time to take Leonardo Casotti down

Former two-division world champion Martin Nguyen fought a last-minute replacement in his most recent fight. He chose to be deliberate in it, which proved to be successful.

‘The Situ-Asian’ outplayed Brazilian Leonardo Casotti in their featherweight joust at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video in February in Bangkok, winning by unanimous decision.

Throughout the three-rounder, Martin Nguyen was calculated in his attack, choosing to pick his spots and not rush things to be far more effective with his game.

In the post-fight interview, the Vietnamese-Australian fighter, in particular, shared how he chose to employ his ground game against Casotti. He waited for the right time instead of immediately jumping to it.

Martin Nguyen said:

“I could have taken him down from round one, but it was just a perfect moment in round three. And I have underrated jiu-jitsu. So he was trying to pull guard, he felt very stiff as to pull back guard again and try to get in certain positions, but I was just staying heavy and pinning him to the ground. And then when I got my moment, and when he rolled the wrong way, I went straight into mount, I was like, okay, we've got time. We have to finish it. Now or never.”

In his latest fight, Martin Nguyen chose to train in the United States at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, away from family in Australia, to stay laser-focused in his preparation. It paid dividends as he was able to craft an effective game plan notwithstanding two opponent changes before landing Casotti.

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Martin Nguyen says every fight from now on is a must-win

Former ONE featherweight and lightweight world champion Martin Nguyen recognizes that at this stage of his illustrious career, every win counts. He is doing everything he can to put himself in a position to succeed in every outing.

The past few fights for ‘The Situ-Asian’ were rough and saw him absorb a couple of difficult losses. But he has recommitted himself to needed training, even if it meant sacrificing some time with family, to stay on top of his game moving forward.

In February, Martin Nguyen’s efforts bore fruit as he swung back to winning ways, defeating Brazilian Leonardo Casotti in their featherweight clash at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video. It was a victory that he felt good about because it was in line with his push for a title shot.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he shared his mindset now for every fight, saying:

"I feel that I only have one chance and one chance only. So every bout that I have and every bout that I get from here on has to be important. If I want that title shot bad enough, it’s just up to me to perform."

Nguyen is one of the longest tenured and groundbreaking fighters in ONE. He was the first two-division world champion in the promotion’s history, simultaneously holding the featherweight and lightweight world titles at one point.