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Russian Shamil Gasanov seeks to sustain his winning streak in his scheduled match next week and further fortify his push for the featherweight MMA world title.
'The Cobra' returns to action at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20 at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail. He is up against former featherweight king and fellow world title contender Martin 'The Situ-Asian' Nguyen.
Entering the contest, Gasanov has won three straight, which has considerably boosted his confidence as he continues his assault on the featherweight division's belt.
Speaking to ONE Championship in an interview, the 29-year-old European grappling champion shared his mindset on his world championship push, saying:
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"I love training and competing against the best. That always motivates me. The main goal is the title. It’s very close now!"
Shamil Gasanov was last in action back in December, when he defeated Turkish fighter Halil Amir by unanimous decision. It was his third straight victory and fourth in five matches to date in ONE Championship.
His opponent, Nguyen, meanwhile, is out to steady the ship after hitting rough waters of late. He is out to get a bounce-back win after absorbing a first-round submission loss at the hands of American Garry Tonon in his last fight in January 2024.
For more information on ONE 171, check out onefc.com.
Shamil Gasanov is unfazed by what Martin Nguyen will be bringing at ONE 171
Shamil Gasanov is unfazed by what Martin Nguyen will be bringing for their showdown at ONE 171: Qatar, believing that he has prepared well and will be ready for wherever their match goes.
He made this known in the same interview with ONE Championship, pointing out that they have studied the game of the former double ONE world champion and would be capitalizing on it.
Gasanov said:
"I'll just go in and fight. My coach will create the game plan, and I'll execute it. Martin loves striking battles, but I plan to outplay him tactically. He has very dangerous hands and knees, but we're ready."
Shamil Gasanov is currently the No. 4 contender in the featherweight MMA division, built on a 4-1 record since making his promotional debut in October 2022. Nguyen. for his part, is at No. 5.
