Shamil Gasanov Refusing To Underestimate Aaron Canarte At ONE Fight Night 24

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Now sitting in the number five spot of ONE Championship's featherweight MMA division, Shamil Gasanov cannot afford to take any opponent lightly, so he's going to give Aaron Canarte his full attention at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart.

"The Cobra" enters Bangkok, Thailand's iconic Lumpinee Stadium against Canarte on Saturday, 3 August, with the hopes of holding down his spot in the featherweight rankings with another solid performance.

Last July at ONE Fight Night 12, Gasanov suffered the first loss of his career against number two ranked Garry Tonon. But he answered critics with a resounding victory over Oh Ho Taek in January at ONE Fight Night 18.

Similarly, Canarte lost his unbeaten slate in his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 18, and Gasanov was able to get a closer look at the mind and skill set his foe brings to the ring.

"Aaron is an experienced kickboxer with solid striking and kicking techniques. He's also adept at wrestling," he said.

"Aaron is a formidable opponent. We've crossed paths in Phuket (Thailand), so we're familiar with each other. His versatility makes him dangerous across the board, so I won't underestimate him."

When Gasanov signed with ONE Championship, it was clear he had goals and a hitlist to check off: his main goal was to become ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion and the first man on his hitlist was the promotion's first-ever two-weight king, Martin Nguyen.

Nguyen has fallen on hard times in his career as of late, but that hasn't discouraged Gasanov from wanting to lock up with him. Though, in order to realize these goals, the Russian has to have a prolific showing against Canarte.

"I think securing one or two more wins will position me as the top contender for the belt. But first, I need to defeat Canarte. After that, I'd love to settle unfinished business with Martin Nguyen," Gasanov said.

"My goal is an early victory, regardless of the method. I'll keep pushing for 15 minutes if needed - that's my fighting style."