WATCH: Martin Nguyen reaches rarified with brutal one-shot knockout finish of Filipino legend Eduard Folayang in Manila

Ahead of Martin Nguyen’s return to action next month, ONE Championship took a moment to reflect on the defining moment of his professional career.

That historic achievement came in the main event of ONE: Legends of the World in November 2017 when Nguyen challenged Filipino superstar Eduard Folayang for the ONE lightweight MMA world title.

Check out the key moments of the bout below:

In that matchup, ‘The Situ-Asian’ made history as the first athlete under the promotion’s banner to hold two world titles simultaneously, delivering a knockout win over Folayang.

After exchanging powerful strikes in the opening round, both men picked up the pace in the second, continuing to trade heavy blows in the center of the Circle. When Folayang unleashed his signature spinning backkick, Nguyen seized the opportunity to end the fight with a devastating right hand.

With this stunning triumph over Folayang, the then-ONE featherweight MMA world champion captured the lightweight belt, becoming a two-division titleholder.

Nguyen's reign at lightweight, however, was brief, as he vacated the belt in 2018.

Though he decided to drop his second world title, Nguyen had a remarkable run as champion in his natural weight class. He held onto his throne for three years, successfully defending it three times before surrendering it to Thanh Le in October 2020.

Now, Nguyen is ready to embark on a new quest to regain his place among the elite.

He will begin his journey to redemption at ONE 171, scheduled for Feb. 20 at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar. There, he will go head-to-head with No. 3-ranked featherweight MMA contender Shamil Gasanov in a three-round duel.