Shamil Gasanov waited an extra month for this. He intends to make it count.
The Russian contender challenges ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai in the main event of ONE Fight Night 43, live in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 15, from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Amazon Prime Video.
The fight was originally scheduled for ONE Fight Night 42 in April, but Gasanov asked for additional time after Ramadan left him unable to prepare fully.
"This fight was originally planned for April, but I asked the promotion to give me more time to prepare since I was in Ramadan and couldn't fully prepare for this fight," he said. "And they gave me more time, and I was able to prepare better for the fight."
The matchup is a clean stylistic collision. Tang Kai has held the featherweight title since August 2022, built a 19-3 record with 15 knockouts, and is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous strikers in the division.
Gasanov, 30, arrives with an 18-1 record and a Dagestani wrestling base sharpened by years of training in Thailand. He is under no illusions about what Tang brings — but he has prepared for exactly that.
"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."
Gasanov's record against elite strikers in ONE backs that confidence. Wins over Kim Jae Woong, Aaron Canarte, and Martin Nguyen have all come against opponents who preferred to keep the fight on the feet.
Most recently, he avenged his only professional loss with a dominant decision over Garry Tonon at ONE Fight Night 34 last August, erasing the single blemish from a record that now makes him the most credible challenger the division has seen in some time.
His game plan for May 15 is built around relentless pressure across all five rounds — with a specific focus on finishing.
"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," he said.
The pressure of the occasion doesn't appear to register with him. Tang has been the standard-bearer for featherweight MMA for nearly four years, and the expectation on a title challenger carries weight. Gasanov keeps it simple.
"I don't feel any pressure. For me it's just a fight. I'm going to go out there one on one with Tang Kai, not with the people, so we will have an equal battle, and the strongest will win," he said. "Don't blink. I am going to finish this fight by technical knockout."
