Do I have to surpass Kim Jae-woong (29) to become the mixed martial arts champion of Asia’s largest organization, ‘ONE Championship’?
One Championship’s official website cited the match between Shamil Gasanov (27, Russia) and Gary Tonon (31, USA) as one of the “three most interesting matches I want to see in 2023.”
Tonon is ranked second in the official featherweight rankings in recognition of his achievements, including ▲ 6 wins and 1 loss in One Championship Mixed Martial Arts since 2018 ▲ 2019 Submission Wrestling World Championship Bronze Medal ▲ One Championship title fight in March 2022.
Gasanov also boasts excellent ground skills, such as the gold medal at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Professional Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, but has only one match in one championship.
In October of last year, Gasanov, in his One Championship debut match, defeated Kim Jae-woong, then number one in the official featherweight ranking of mixed martial arts, with a choke technique called “rear naked choke” within 2 minutes and 9 seconds of the start of the match.
Gassanov is ranked fifth in the featherweight division of the One Championship with just one win. It means that the fact that he defeated Kim Jae-woong is highly evaluated in the history of the tournament.
In March 2022, the One Championship held a featherweight challenger match between Kim Jae-woong, who is ranked first in the official ranking, and Tang Kai (26, China), who is ranked 4th. Tang Kai drove the momentum to defeat Kim Jae-woong with a punch KO in the first round and overthrew Tan Le from the throne in August to become the champion.
The One Championship official website said, “Last year, Gasanov, who made a sensation beyond Kim Jae-woong, set a high goal. He has no intention of wasting time waiting to face Tonon, the No. 2 ranked featherweight in mixed martial arts,” he said. 메이저놀이터
While Gassov won 13 victories in mixed martial arts, nine people, including Kim Jae-ung, surrendered with Jiu-Jitsu techniques. However, Tonon is the winner of the 2011 and 2012 International Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) world championships.
One Championship’s official website states, “During Gasanov’s undefeated streak in mixed martial arts, he has never faced a grappler comparable to Tonon. If he passes the tough test, he will challenge featherweight champion Tang Kai.”
Tonon will face Johnny Nunez (37, USA) in the first match on the main card of ‘ONE Fight Night 6’ held at Impact Arena (capacity: 11,440) in Bangkok, Thailand on the 14th (Korean time).
Núñez ▲2014-2015 WSOF ▲2018 Bellator (above USA) ▲2019 One Championship debut were all lightweight. As for Tonon, he must not be caught by a veteran from a higher weight class to keep his cause against Gasanov.
Kim Jae-woong lowered the weight class. In November of last year, former One Championship bantamweight champion Kevin Bellingon (35, Philippines) was TKO. In ‘ONE Fight Night 6’, Sato Shoko (35, Japan), who was the Japanese ‘Shoot’ champion, will play against Korea and Japan.