‘That One Shot In The Chaos’ – Tang Kai Ready To Prove He Remains The Best In The World Against Shamil Gasanov
Tang Kai has conquered every obstacle he has faced in the stacked featherweight MMA division, and he has no intention of slowing down now.
The reigning ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion puts his 26 pounds of gold on the line against Dagestani submission specialist Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov in the main event of ONE Fight Night 43 on Prime Video.
The blockbuster spectacle broadcasts live in U.S. primetime this Friday, May 15, from the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Tang’s journey to the top of the division is one of the greatest stories in ONE Championship history. The 30-year-old Sunkin International Fight Club representative defeated Vietnamese-American star Thanh Le via unanimous decision in 2022 to become China’s first-ever male MMA World Champion.
Nearly two years later, in March 2024, he cemented his legacy by unifying the belts against the very same opponent, this time finishing Le in the third round via TKO. Since making his promotional debut, Tang has gone 8-1 inside the world’s largest martial arts organization, with five of those victories coming inside the distance, and he remains a truly dominant force in the featherweight MMA ranks.
Now, with the division’s most dangerous submission specialist standing across from him, the champion is not thinking about records or history. He simply wants to perform.
Tang said:
“I just want to fight. I just can’t wait to put on a show for my fans.”
Awaiting him is one of the toughest tests of his career. Gasanov is a 30-year-old Dagestani grappler with a stellar 18-1 professional record and a 6-1 promotional slate. The Russian has already set the tone for fight week with a pointed warning for the champion: “I will try to break him in every round.”
Tang has heard it all before. He has studied his challenger closely, and the respect he carries for Gasanov as a martial artist does not come close to shaking his absolute belief in his own weapons.
He said:
“He’s a good wrestler, very well rounded. One of the best in the world. We already know each other from Tiger Muay Thai. I think he must have studied my style for quite a long time. So let’s see what he brings to the table.
“[It’s] hard to say he has any weakness; I think he’s good both with the striking and grappling. But I’m also confident with my hands, when I land it, it’s over for anybody.”
This matchup shapes up as a classic striker-versus-grappler chess match, with Tang’s dynamite hands and heavy ground-and-pound on one side, and Gasanov’s world-class submission arsenal on the other.
When asked to identify his single biggest advantage in that equation, the champion did not hesitate.
He said:
“The timing of that one shot in the chaos, that’s what I always do.”
Tang Kai Targets Finish But Ready For Five-Round War
Tang knows exactly what a victory over Shamil Gasanov would mean, not just for his championship reign, but for how the world views him as a fighter.
The ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion returns to the ring hungry, highly motivated, and with plenty left to prove to himself and the rest of the division. A dominant performance against one of the most dangerous challengers on the roster would silence every lingering doubt and serve as the clearest possible reminder of just how elite China’s finest mixed martial artist truly is.
Tang explained:
“It would mean that I’m still the Tang Kai that everyone missed. Shamil is one of the best and by defeating him, I can prove I’m still at the top of the division.”
The fiery Chinese featherweight is not fixated on exactly how the victory comes.
A highlight-reel finish would thrill the fans packed into Lumpinee Stadium and the massive global audience watching around the world, but Tang is structurally built for every scenario this fight could present.
The 30-year-old concluded:
“Of course I would love to deliver a finish for the fans, but I’m also prepared for a five-round war. We’ll see what happens.
“Let’s put on a great show for the fans. We have all been waiting for this moment far too long. And when we get in the ring, let’s leave with no regrets.”
