“Never give up on your dreams” - OG champ-champ Martin Nguyen shares one last piece of advice to his fans following retirement

Martin Nguyen may have faced the difficult reality of retirement at ONE 171 last week, but as he reflects on his journey, he does so with a smile, grateful for the unwavering support he has received throughout the years.

"The Situ-Asian" made the tough call to hang up his gloves following a grueling unanimous decision loss to No. 4-ranked featherweight MMA contender Shamil Gasanov in their three-round battle at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

From the opening bell, Nguyen found himself struggling against Gasanov’s overwhelming advances. The 29-year-old Russian imposed his grappling-heavy approach, relentlessly hunting for takedowns and converting several throughout the matchup.

Despite Nguyen’s best efforts to keep the contest standing, Gasanov held his own on the feet as well, landing crisp right hands that rocked the Vietnamese-Australian slugger.

Combining his striking with well-timed double-leg takedowns, 'Cobra' maintained control and sealed the unanimous decision victory.

Even before the judges’ scores were read, the writing was on the wall — Nguyen had the tape on his gloves cut off, a telling sign of what was to come. He made it official in a post-fight interview with color commentator Mitch Chilson, solemnly placing his gloves in the center of the Circle to mark the end of his storied career.

Speaking to ONE Championship afterward, Nguyen had heartfelt parting words for his fans:

“Thank you for supporting me and my whole career — 10 and a half years in ONE Championship. It has been a dream, and having you guys ride with me, it’s been a blessing. The one thing I can pass on is never give up on your dreams.”

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Martin Nguyen exits MMA with solid track record

Marin Nguyen leaves the sport with a professional record of 15-8, cementing his legacy as the promotion's first two-division titleholder — reigning as both the ONE featherweight and lightweight MMA world champion from 2017 to 2018.

While he achieved dual-world champion status, Nguyen will be best remembered for his dominant run in the featherweight division. He captured the belt in August 2017 with a rematch victory over Marat Gafurov and successfully defended it three times before relinquishing the world title in October 2020.