ONE 171 results and recap: Shamil Gasanov vs. Martin Nguyen 

An all-important fight between ranked featherweight MMA contenders will shake up the division's top five rankings as number four-rated contender Shamil Gasanov battles the number five-ranked challenger Martin Nguyen at ONE 171: Qatar on Thursday evening in front of the Lusail Sports Arena.

With a win over Nguyen, Gasanov aims to cement his place in the top three rankings of the weight class and possibly move closer to a shot at the 26-pound golden belt.

Meanwhile, the former featherweight MMA king wants to prove that he still has a lot left in his tank and make one last run for the coveted championship.

See the blow-by-blow action from this thrilling featherweight MMA bout.

Round 1: Gasanov pressed Nguyen against the cage with his forward pressure early into the fight. Nguyen landed a strong leg kick against Nguyen but a quick takedown was the answer by Gasanov less than a minute into the match.

Gasanov controlled Nguyen on the cage side by zapping his energy with clinch battles and scrambles. However, in the early moments of the round, Nguyen's punches caused a cut on Gasanov's forehead.

Gasanov fired a solid right-hand punch straight into Nguyen's face that clipped him with less than 90 seconds in the opening round. This opened up a submission opportunity for 'The Cobra' but failed to capitalize, and 'Situ-Asian' survived.

Round 2: Gasanov continued to press Nguyen into the cage using his kicks and forward pressure. Nguyen countered this by attacking Gasanov's lead leg with chopping kicks.

90 seconds into the second frame, Gasanov attempted another takedown against Nguyen, but he defended it well for over a minute before the referee separated them due to lack of activity.

Gasanov tried another takedown but eventually let it go. At the tail-end of the round, Nguyen found more success with his punches to the head and body of Gasanov. The round ended with both fighters exchanging strikes.

Round 3: Nguyen landed the first major blow in the final round with an overhand right hand, but Gasanov exploded with another takedown defense, pressing Nguyen once more on the cage side.

During this stretch, Nguyen landed several punches on Gasanov's body until the referee separated them. Once they were back in the circle of the ring, Gasanov quickly went back to trying to score a takedown against Nguyen.

Gasanov finally decided to take the action on the feet, but both athletes were slapped with yellow cards for lack of action in the round.

In the last minute of the round, Nguyen became the more aggressive fighter and landed more significant strikes against Gasanov, particularly with his punches.

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ONE 171: Qatar - Shamil Gasanov vs. Martin Nguyen official result

Shamil Gasanov's superior grappling skills proved too much for Martin Nguyen to handle, as he scored a comfortable victory during their featherweight MMA showdown on Thursday evening as part of the ONE 171: Qatar at the Lusail Sports Arena.

Apart from flexing his relentless grappling, the Russian powerhouse also showcased his striking skills, especially the solid right-hand punch that he connected in the opening round, which helped him set the tone for the rest of the fight.

It was Gasanov's fourth straight win and he voiced out his desire to have a rematch with his former tormentor Garry Tonon during his post-fight interview.

Shamil Gasanov defeated Martin Nguyen via unanimous decision in their featherweight MMA match.