He could have fought in April. He asked ONE Championship to wait. Now Shamil Gasanov steps into the biggest bout of his career on his own terms.
Gasanov challenges ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai in the main event of ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov on Prime Video, broadcasting live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, May 15.
The 30-year-old Russian carries an 18-1 professional record into the contest. He has five consecutive wins since his lone career defeat to Garry Tonon in 2023. This includes dominant decisions over Kim Jae Woong, Aaron Canarte, Halil Amir, Martin Nguyen, and Tonon himself in the rematch.
The fight was originally set for ONE Fight Night 42 in April. But Gasanov requested a postponement to observe Ramadan and prepare without compromise.
Tang Kai holds a 19-3 record with 15 knockouts and has reigned as ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion since August 2022. Gasanov knows the threat he presents on the feet. He also knows where he holds the advantage, and he has no intention of keeping this one-dimensional.
“I’ve been training in Thailand for a long time, and this isn’t the first time I’ll be fighting strikers, so I’m always ready for such challenges. I’ve worked a lot with strong strikers to be ready for anything. Tang Kai is a serious striker, but he has some disadvantages that we will use in battle,” he said.
“I will try to knock him down, I think this is no secret to anyone, but I also plan to beat him in the standing position, so we will use all our skills to win this fight.”
Shamil Gasanov has a finish in mind and five rounds to make it happen
Shamil Gasanov did not travel from Dagestan to Bangkok to win a decision. He has studied Tang Kai across every dimension, identified specific openings, and spent the extra weeks since April sharpening the tools to exploit them.
The Peresvet Fight Team and Tiger Muay Thai product carries nine career stoppages into this fight. He has also made clear his intentions go beyond controlling the champion. He wants a finish, and he has thought carefully about how it arrives.
“I think yes, that’s true, we have different styles, Tang Kai is basically a striker, I’m basically a wrestler, but anything can happen in a fight, so don’t blink. We’ve done a lot of work with the coaches. Of course, we know his strengths, and we’ve prepared well in that area. I won’t let him hit me in the legs,” he said.
“I will try to apply any painful hold if I have the opportunity in a fight. I really like choke holds. I will try to break him in every round, but I know this will be a tough fight for both of us, and a lot will be decided in the championship rounds.”
