ONE Championship Announces Tang Kai vs Shamil Gasanov World Title Bout As ONE Fight Night 42 Main Event

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China's first male MMA World Champion Tang Kai will defend his ONE Featherweight MMA World Title against Russian contender Shamil Gasanov on Saturday, 11 April. The bout headlines ONE Fight Night 42 at Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium, with both fighters aged 30.

Tang represents Sunkin International Fight Club and carries Chinese MMA hopes. He also carries the memory of a recent setback. He suffered a TKO loss to Akbar Abdullaev in a non-title bout, which followed his strong title unification victory.

The champion rose through ONE's featherweight ranks using sharp boxing. After his promotional debut, the Chinese striker claimed six straight wins. Those victories came over established names and earned a title shot. That chance came against American-Vietnamese champion Thanh Le.

Their first clash came in 2022 and lasted five rounds. Tang claimed a unanimous decision to take the featherweight crown. Injuries then kept him away from action. During that period, Thanh Le captured interim gold, keeping the rivalry alive.

The rivalry closed in a 2024 unification bout. Tang stopped Le by TKO and removed any doubts. That win secured his place as undisputed champion. He now holds an 8-1 ONE record, with five finishes, and enters his second title defence.

Tang now hopes to remove the Abdullaev result from discussion. However, his latest challenger brings a difficult style matchup. Shamil Gasanov represents Peresvet Fight Team and Tiger Muay Thai. He offers strong grappling skills that often trouble striking-based fighters.

The Russian arrives with an 18-1 career record built on wrestling. His style often smothers rivals and limits their striking. Within ONE Championship, Gasanov holds a 6-1 mark. That includes a current run of five straight victories.

Gasanov's recent form grew even more notable in 2025. He avenged his only career defeat that year. The Russian dominated American grappling specialist Garry Tonon in a rematch. That performance suggested clear progress since their first meeting.