![Martin Nguyen (left) and Shamil Gasanov (right). [Photos from ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/dcfa8-17343529090944-1920.jpg)
![Martin Nguyen (left) and Shamil Gasanov (right). [Photos from ONE Championship]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.6666666666667'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Martin Nguyen just upped his grappling game heading into his return to the ONE Championship Circle.
The former ONE featherweight and lightweight MMA world champion recently received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt nearly a month before he takes on submission machine Shamil Gasanov.
Nguyen will face Gasanov in a pivotal featherweight MMA showdown at ONE 171 on Feb. 20, 2025, at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.
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Taking to Instagram, Martin Nguyen wrote:
"SO THIS HAPPENED TONIGHT!! ❤️🥲 ⬛️⬛️⬛️🟥🟥⬛️. What a milestone this journey has been. To think I just started Jiu Jitsu just to lose my dad bod to now recieving my black belt under @supplegrappler . Here’s to many more memories and milestones with the @cabrakai family."
Nguyen is one of the true pioneers in ONE Championship, having started his promotional tenure in 2014.
'The Situ-Asian' simultaneously held the ONE featherweight and lightweight MMA world titles from 2017 to 2018.
He was the first fighter in the promotion's history to gun for three-division supremacy when he challenged Brazilian legend and then-world champion Bibiano Fernandes for the bantamweight MMA throne.
Nguyen is also the only fighter to beat reigning ONE lightweight and welterweight MMA world champion Christian Lee on two occasions.
As well-rounded as anyone, Nguyen holds eight knockout wins and two submission finishes in ONE Championship
The newly minted BJJ black belt now looks to re-establish his rhythm when he faces Gasanov in Qatar for his first fight in 2025.
Martin Nguyen's matchup against Shamil Gasanov part of stacked ONE 171 card in Qatar
Martin Nguyen isn't the only ONE Championship OG who'll see action in Qatar.
His former tormentor Bibiano Fernandes will make his return in a storied fifth match against eternal rival Kevin Belingon in a bantamweight MMA tussle.
Croatian sensation Roberto Soldic will take on Turkish brawler Dagi Arslanaliev in a certain welterweight MMA banger.
The top of the card, however, belongs to two world title matches for MMA and kickboxing supremacy.
In a highly anticipated unification match, ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio will take on Jarred Brooks, the ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion, in the card's co-main event.
Jonathan Haggerty will then defend the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship against Chinese icon Wei Rui to close the show.
