“Not my best performance” - Russian star Shamil Gasanov admits he wasn’t fully satisfied with his win over Martin Nguyen

Shamil Gasanov secured arguably the biggest win of his career, but he wasn't too satisfied with how he fought against Martin Nguyen in Qatar.

The number four-ranked featherweight MMA contender outlasted Nguyen in their featherweight MMA showdown at ONE 171: Qatar on Thursday at Lusail Sports Arena.

The match was a typical back-and-forth between two contrasting styles, but Gasanov admitted on Instagram that he wasn't too happy with how he fought against the former double-world champion.

Shamil Gasanov posted:

"Alhamdulillah. Not my best performance (there were reasons for that, and we won’t talk about them), but the most important thing is that the victory is ours ✊🏽 I want to thank everyone who helped and supported me."

Gasanov is one of the most versatile fighters on the ONE Championship roster and can easily blend his overwhelming grappling with his underrated striking, but 'The Cobra' often favors his wrestling to subdue his opponents.

That trait was in full display against Nguyen, a former ONE featherweight and lightweight MMA world champion, during their Qatar showdown.

Gasanov controlled the match with his incessant grappling and constantly put Nguyen against the cage throughout the 15-minute encounter.

The Russian star even scored a near-finish in the first round when he clocked Nguyen with a crisp overhand right, only for the Vietnamese-Australian legend to shake off the cobwebs when Gasanov shot for the takedown.

With his victory over Nguyen, Gasanov improved to 6-1 in his ONE Championship tenure and 17-1 for his entire career.

Fans can watch replays of ONE 171 on-demand at watch.onefc.com.

---

Shamil Gasanov wants a quick turnaround following his dominant win over Martin Nguyen

Shamil Gasanov is itching to return to the ONE Championship Circle following his crucial victory over Martin Nguyen.

In his post-fight interview with color commentator Mitch Chilson, Gasanov said he needs just one month to recover and fight whoever ONE Championship puts in front of him.

Gasanov even hinted that he would try to move up to lightweight to fight a new wave of fighters in the promotion.

"Today, [I had] four fights in twelve months, four fights, four wins. This for me was very hard. Now give me one month for rest, then I’m ready for any fight. Maybe 77 kilograms, it doesn’t matter bro."