Shamil Gasanov says fighting ‘most dangerous’ Garry Tonon has been a dream of his

Russian mixed martial arts fighter Shamil Gasanov views his upcoming clash with American jiu-jitsu specialist Garry Tonon with added significance as he considers it a fulfillment of a dream.

The two featherweight contenders will battle it out at ONE Fight Night 12 on Prime Video on July 14 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. It is part of the live event which is available for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Speaking to ONE Championship, ‘The Cobra’ said Garry Tonon is a fighter whose career he has been following for a long time now, and someone he sees as the most dangerous in the division.

The 27-year-old Shamil Gasanov said:

“Fighting Tonon has been a dream of mine for a while. I have watched his fights in ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club), and I consider him the most dangerous opponent in my division.”

ONE Fight Night 12 will mark the second outing of Shamil Gasanov in ONE Championship.

‘The Cobra’ had a winning debut last October, forcing former No. 1 featherweight contender Kim Jae Woong of South Korea into submission in the opening round of their clash through a rear-naked choke. The victory thrust him into the top five in the featherweight division, where he is currently the fifth-ranked contender.

Garry Tonon, 31, meanwhile, is the No. 2-ranked featherweight contender and a former world title challenger. He is coming off a first-round submission victory back in January over fellow American Johnny Nunez.

‘The Lion Killer’ is out to pile up the wins anew so he can get another shot at the ONE featherweight world title, which is currently in the possession of Tang Kai of China.