ONE Fight Night 12 preview and predictions: Garry Tonon vs Shamil Gasanov 

Before Superlek and Tagir Khalilov tear each other’s heads off in the main event of ONE Fight Night 12, fight fans across the globe will first witness a clash between two of the best grapplers in the featherweight division.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Garry Tonon will look to take away the “0” in Dagestani wrestler Shamil Gasanov’s record in ONE’s seventh Amazon card of the year.

Fans inside the fabled walls of Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok will certainly be in for a treat when these two grappling juggernauts lock horns in a possible world title eliminator at 155 pounds.

Tonon, of course, needs no introduction to the BJJ community, where he punished a ton of limbs with his notorious submission arsenal. ‘The Lion Killer’ kept that excellence since taking his talents to MMA, accumulating a 7-1 record so far.

Standing across the second-ranked featherweight contender, however, is an undefeated prospect who knows no fear.

The 13-0 Gasanov has had his way with every man unfortunate enough to share the ring with him.

‘’The Cobra’ proved what he can do on the global stage, slithering his way to Kim Jae Woong’s neck and forcing him to yield via a slick rear-naked choke last year.

Something has to give when two grappling masters square off in a high-stakes affair.

As always, Sportskeeda MMA’s ONE Championship team has kept a close eye on this gargantuan showdown and offered their expert analysis.

Check out their picks for the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 12, which will air free for Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Vince Richards: Shamil Gasanov via unanimous decision

This match is a grappling fan’s fever dream. Garry Tonon and Shamil Gasanov are two of the finest grapplers in MMA right now, and their different styles have the potential for a match of the night showing. Tonon is a multiple-time BJJ world champion while Gasanov is a hard-nosed Dagestani wrestler.

It’s inevitable that this fight will go to the ground where this encounter will become an absolute chess match. Although there’s still the possibility that both fighters won’t try to utilize their best skills and just throw hands with reckless abandon.

Whatever the case may be, this match has the potential to blow the roof off the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. If this match goes to the ground, which Gasanov would likely force, then Tonon will get the slight advantage due to his overall BJJ experience.

If this match stays on the feet, then Gasanov’s aggressive style will put him at a distinct advantage. Prediction: Shamil Gasanov via unanimous decision.

Craig Pekios: Garry Tonon

I expect both men to stand and trade given the strong ground game they both possess. If it does go to the ground, I see Gasanov initiating that, but Tonon has more tools to earn a finish.

In the end, I think Tonon's experience inside the Circle will ultimately make the difference. I believe 'The Lion Killer' will come out on top at ONE Fight Night 12.

Mike Murillo: Garry Tonon via submission (second round)

This fight is a tough one to call as the protagonists are equally capable of hacking out a victory. As the more well-rounded and seasoned fighter, however, I am giving this fight to Garry Tonon by submission in the second round.

Shamil Gasanov can easily prove me wrong but I just feel that ‘The Lion Killer’ has more to give when push comes to shove, owing to the fact that he has been competing against high-level opponents for some time now both in grappling and MMA.

The opening round will be a feeling-out period I believe and things will pick up in the second frame. Tonon will try to attempt to finish it through stand-up initially but eventually, I see him shooting for a takedown and from there executing a submission.

James De Rozario: Shamil Gasanov by KO (second round)

Gasanov shouldn’t be too over-confident heading into this battle against Tonon as the American superstar has plenty in his arsenal to produce an upset inside the Thai capital.

However, if he can keep himself composed and stick to his game plan, there shouldn’t be any problem at all for the undefeated superstar to continue his unstoppable streak.

For one, Tonon – if he had learned from his fight against Thanh Le – shouldn’t be shooting in for single leg picks or takedowns. And if ‘The Lion Killer’ decides to stand and bang, Gasanov will take advantage and make Tonon prey to his striking output.

‘The Cobra’ owns well-educated hands although he doesn’t have a knockout to show on his slate. On the flip side, Tonon doesn’t have the toughest of chins and isn’t the silkiest of strikers.

So if the Peresvet Fight Team can catch him with a looping right or left, it could land him one of the biggest wins of his career and possibly a shot at the featherweight gold.