Shamil Gasanov Overwhelms Oh Ho Taek In High-Paced Main Event Battle At ONE Fight Night 18

The main event of ONE Fight Night 18 on Prime Video saw featherweight MMA phenom Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov bounce back from his first career defeat in decisive fashion, as he scored a unanimous decision victory over South Korean star “Spider” Oh Ho Taek on Friday, January 12.

For 15 hard minutes, the two world-class athletes went to war in the final match of ONE Championship’s first U.S. primetime card of 2024, as each man looked to stand out in the talent-laden featherweight MMA division at Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Widely regarded as one of the division’s most feared grapplers, #4-ranked contender Gasanov took the fight to the canvas early and often thanks to his powerful wrestling and suffocating top control. And once he was on the mat, he largely controlled the action in hot pursuit of another highlight-reel submission finish.

For his part, the South Korean displayed excellent scrambling ability. 

After a back-and-forth opening stanza, “The Cobra” nearly locked in a match-ending rear-naked choke in the second frame, but Oh miraculously survived and took top position.

Sensing his advantage in the grappling department, the Dagestani kept his foot on the gas pedal in the final minutes of the contest. He continued to hunt for the choke and consistently found himself in dominant positions, but “Spider” proved to be too tough to submit.

After three rounds of action, both athletes were exhausted from seemingly endless scrambles and exchanges of position. Ultimately, the ringside judges awarded the 28-year-old Russian the unanimous decision victory.

For Gasanov, the win pushes his career slate to 14-1 and, importantly, keeps him in the hunt for the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title.

What’s more, his stellar performance proves that, despite a July 2023 loss to former World Title challenger Garry Tonon, “The Cobra” is still very much a championship-caliber talent that the rest of the division should keep an eye on.