ONE Championship continues to uphold its featherweight division's prestige by orchestrating a potential title eliminator between grappling prodigies Garry Tonon and Shamil Gasanov. This much-anticipated clash is set to take place in mid-July, according to reliable sources.
ONE Fight Night 12, hosted at the esteemed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, is the chosen stage for this thrilling encounter between the currently ranked No. 2 and No. 5 featherweights.
Anticipation soars for this bout, largely due to Tonon's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Gasanov's pair of European Grappling titles. The promise of a grappling extravaganza has fans and pundits alike bristling with excitement.
A prominent figure in the Singapore-based fight league, "The Lion Killer" Tonon stormed onto the MMA scene with his debut win over Richard Corminal in March 2018. He followed this victory with a stunning run of five successive wins, eventually leading him to challenge Thanh Le for the featherweight title at ONE: Lights Out in March 2022. Unfortunately, a flawed submission attempt in the first round resulted in a knockout defeat for Tonon.
Nonetheless, Tonon rebounded splendidly with a brilliant kimura submission win against Johnny Nunez at ONE Fight Night 6 this past January, elevating his MMA record to an impressive 7-1.
Conversely, Gasanov's debut was nothing short of spectacular. In his maiden ONE Championship outing, he compelled renowned striker Kim Jae Woong to submit with a rear-naked choke. Although this marks "The Cobra" Gasanov's sole ONE Championship win, he carries a formidable nine-fight winning streak from his tenure in Russia's regional MMA circuit.
Notably, reigning featherweight champion Tang Kai, initially scheduled for a rematch with Thanh Le at ONE Fight Night 12, has had to withdraw due to a training injury.
The victor of the Tonon-Gasanov bout stands to earn a coveted world title shot, adding to the gravity of this event for spectators worldwide. As these two elite combatants vie for the opportunity to challenge either Tang or Le, fans can expect a grand showcase of martial prowess.
The July 15 event (July 14 in the U.S.), featuring Roman Kryklia's light heavyweight title defense against Francesko Xhaja as the main event, will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video at 8:00 PM ET for American viewers.
