Shamil Gasanov says 'doubts about yourself are inevitable' if you don't put in the work

ONE featherweight MMA star Shamil Gasanov has experienced the highs and lows of being a professional athlete, including doubting his own abilities. However, the Russian wrestler credited his extensive physical training with helping calm his mind.

In an interview with ONE, 'The Cobra' offered his thoughts on how he stays ready for any fight:

"The key is to be physically ready. Mental readiness comes when you've trained hard, stuck to your routine, and avoided slacking off. If you haven't done that, doubts about yourself are inevitable."

The third-ranked ONE featherweight MMA competitor looked the best he has ever been when he met fellow 155-pound MMA standout Halil Amir in the undercard of ONE Fight Night 26 last Friday, Dec. 6.

When the opening bell rang, Gasanov wasted no time employing his wrestling abilities to prevent Amir from getting into his groove. The 29-year-old seemingly had Amir in a rear-naked choke, but the latter fought hard to escape the predicament.

For the better part of the next two rounds though, Gasanov continued to punish the Turkish star on the ground. This led to the Peresvet Fight Team and Tiger Muay Thai representative winning via unanimous decision.

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Shamil Gasanov predicted how his fight with Halil Amir would go

Shamil Gasanov claimed his third-straight victory at Halil Amir's expense off the strength of his ground game, which was precisely what he expected heading into their clash inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Gasanov told ONE ahead of ONE Fight Night 26:

"I think my uniqueness lies in my wrestling. In my four fights so far, there hasn't been anyone I couldn't take down."

Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch all the action from ONE Fight Night 26 on demand.