'I Got My Revenge' – Shamil Gasanov Recalls Avenging His Only Career Loss Against Garry Tonon

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When the no. 3 ranked ONE Championship featherweight MMA contender Shamil Gasanov stepped into the fabled Lumpinee Stadium ring, his only focus was avenging the sole loss of his career against American BJJ powerhouse Garry Tonon - and he made it happen.

"The Cobra" earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over "The Lion Killer" in their highly anticipated rematch at ONE Fight Night 34. The Dagestani fighter showcased his improved ground game and striking throughout the contest.

This was the 29-year-old athlete's fifth consecutive victory under the ONE banner. During the post-event press conference, Gasanov broke down the strategy employed by his opponent, who appeared very confident after the three rounds.

"[He was] confident in the first two rounds. He knew that he was winning the first two rounds. So by the end of that, he was happy with his results. However, he got an injury at the end of the second round," Gasanov said.

"And so in the third round, he was struggling, had to be more reserved and control his energy expenditure. And he knows that he lost the third round, or he gave up the third round. But other than that, he was very confident and happy with himself."

The Russian now stands at 18-1 in his career, with his only loss coming against Tonon in July 2023. In that bout, the American superstar executed a perfect kneebar to hand him his first defeat. Now, after two years of hard work, he has finally earned his revenge.

"I called him out when I joined [ONE Championship] because I knew he was a strong grappler. I lost that fight. Although I do think I was dominating the fight for a while. I am happy that I got my revenge today. It was important to me," Gasanov said.

With consecutive wins, Gasanov has made a strong case for title contention against the reigning featherweight king Tang Kai. Also, his rivalry with Tonon stands at 1-1, which could set the stage for the rubber match in the future. However, he expressed a great deal of respect for his opponent.

"To be honest, I wouldn't say that we're big rivals or at war or anything," Gasanov admitted. "We have a lot of respect for each other. Our team, our coaches have a lot of respect for each other, too."