‘My Best One Is Coming’ – Tang Kai, Diogo Reis, And Aslamjon Ortikov Reflect On Massive Wins At ONE Fight Night 43
ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov delivered a series of spectacular performances on May 15 at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and the night’s biggest winners wasted absolutely no time making their future ambitions clear.
Reigning ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai made a definitive statement in the main event, undefeated Uzbek phenom Aslamjon “El Pantera” Ortikov continued his relentless march toward Muay Thai gold, and reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis put on a masterclass.
Three fighters, three dominant victories, and three very different roads ahead. With a World Title shot at the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai crown potentially on the horizon for Ortikov, two-division glory within reach for Reis, and a queue of elite challengers lining up for Tang’s featherweight throne, ONE Fight Night 43 did not just deliver an unforgettable night of action — it set the stage for what comes next.
Tang Welcomes New Challenge From Baatarkhuu
Tang Kai made the second defense of his ONE Featherweight MMA World Title look almost routine.
The reigning champion stopped dangerous Russian challenger Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov via fourth-round TKO in the blockbuster main event, upping his professional record to 20-3 and banking a well-earned US$50,000 performance bonus in the process. It was a complete, highly controlled performance that showcased exactly why Tang is considered the absolute best featherweight on the planet.
Speaking to onefc.com after the fight, he reflected on his grueling preparation and the clarity it gave him inside the ring:
“I feel good. I feel happy. Shamil is a very good opponent, and the team knew he had good wrestling and he was a good athlete, so that’s why in this fight we prepared everything for him. And we trained very hard. I just enjoyed this fight.”
The devastating calf kick became the defining weapon of the evening for the Chinese superstar, and Tang recalls the precise moment he knew the tide had turned irreversibly in his favor.
He said:
“I just tried to calf kick to know how he feels. I could feel that he got hurt. He got hurt, so I kept kicking.”
With the World Title defense firmly in the books, Tang has no shortage of high-profile options ahead.
ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion “The Tormentor” Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu has made his interest known, and the Physical: Asia finalist remains squarely on the champion’s radar. Tang, however, is completely unconcerned about who stands across from him next.
He concluded:
“I will prepare [for] every opponent. I do not choose anyone. Just come in and try.
“The Mongolian guy — [Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu] — he wants to fight me. He can come. He can try.”
Reis Rates His Grappling Masterclass A Perfect 10
Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis did not travel to Lumpinee Stadium to leave any doubt.
The 24-year-old Brazilian completely controlled the action in a 10-minute bantamweight submission grappling matchup against tough Japanese opponent Yuki Takahashi, securing a unanimous decision victory that was as dominant as any performance on the card.
From the opening moments, Reis hunted submissions relentlessly, executing smooth takedowns, guard passes, and back takes with the remarkable fluency of a grappler operating at the absolute pinnacle of his craft.
He told onefc.com:
“It’s always great fighting in ONE, and also I had a great performance and showed some skills that I was drilling in my gym, so it’s cool.
“[I’d say] 10. Because I did everything. I took him down, passed him, swept, and took the back. I had some submission attempts. Almost somewhat I could choke, or I could take his arm, but he was really good at defending.”
The flawless result keeps Reis firmly in the pole position at both flyweight and bantamweight, and the reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion now faces an enviable selection of options as he looks toward his next promotional appearance.
A second World Title is well within reach, and the Brazilian is weighing his path carefully.
“Baby Shark” offered:
“I can do both. For now, I don’t know. I don’t have any names.
“But I will talk to Tom [DeBlass]. Because I think for now, we can make a title shot in bantamweight or a title defense in flyweight. Well, we have two options, and we’re gonna see which is better for me and which is better for the organization.”
Ortikov Sets His Sights On Vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai Gold
Aslamjon Ortikov crushed Colombian rival Jordan “Panda Kick” Estupinan via second-round TKO in a performance that was as destructive as it was calculated.
Ortikov spent the first round brilliantly reading his opponent, checking distances, and assessing tendencies before unloading in the second frame. A series of punishing left hands and crisp four-punch combinations dropped Estupinan three times before the finish was officially waved off.
The monumental victory pushed the undefeated phenom’s record to a staggering 24-0 and moved him directly to the front of the queue for the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship.
He told onefc.com:
“It feels really good, 24-0. I’m really happy. We planned this, we planned mostly for the first round to check him, what he can do, check his distance, and in the second round, mostly attack. And I did my job correctly.”
Watching intently from ringside was undefeated Russian sensation Asadula Imangazaliev, who in his last outing handed legendary former World Champion Nong-O Hama a shocking defeat but was ineligible to claim the gold after missing weight prior to the fight.
With both men firmly in contention for the vacant crown, a showdown between the two elite strikers feels entirely inevitable, and Ortikov is more than ready to embrace it.
He said:
“One of the best, I can say. Yeah. My best one is coming. And I’m ready to fight for my title.
“Nothing personal. [Imangazaliev is a] Good fighter, really good fighter. And yeah, that’s it. What I know, it’s gonna be a really good fight. It’s not gonna be easy for me, and it’s not gonna be easy for him. And let’s show a good fight.”
The stakes extend far beyond a championship belt. Fellow Uzbek Avazbek “Ninzya” Kholmirzaev recently claimed the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title, and Ortikov is acutely aware of what it would mean to bring Muay Thai gold back to Uzbekistan alongside him.
He concluded:
“That’s gonna be crazy things because a lot of Uzbek — a lot of fighters want to fight in ONE Championship, and a lot of fighters know me that I’m gonna fight in ONE Championship.
“And I’m close to the belt, and they really want me to bring the belt to Uzbekistan. And I would love to be the first one to do this in Muay Thai.”
