On August 3, 2024, Beijing time, ONE Championship, an internationally renowned sports IP, will bring "ONE: Summit Series 24" to fans. In the featherweight mixed martial arts bout of the day, Russia's fifth-ranked Shamil "Cobra" Gasanov takes on rising star Aaron Canarte.
Gasanov arrived in ONE Championship in 2022 with a 12-0 winning streak, showcasing his wrestling and grappling prowess against Kim Jae Woong, who comfortably submitted Kim Jae Woong with a rear-naked choke in just 2:09 to put on a 13-fight winning streak and earn a US$50,000 performance bonus. With the victory, Gasanov moved into the top five in the featherweight rankings. Gasanov then faced IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Garry "The Lion Killer" Tonon at "ONE: Pinnacle Series 12." Although Gasanov started the bout with a wrestling to suppress Tonon, he was defeated by Tonon's knee armbar in the second round and suffered his first career defeat. But it didn't take long for Gasanov to return to the Circle in an even stronger form, cementing himself in the top five with a three-round unanimous decision victory over Oh Ho Taek at "ONE Peak Series 18" with powerful ground control.
Coincidentally, Cannady also came to ONE Championship with an unmatched winning record, where he tasted defeat for the first time. With a 10-fight winning streak, he faced Akbar Abdullaev, who also hasn't lost a fight, at "ONE: The Pinnacle Series 12." Abdulaev's kicks and punches were amazingly explosive, knocking Aaron down and ending the fight by TKO at 41 seconds, earning him a US$50,000 performance bonus. The defeat gave Canady more motivation to train. "My perfect record is gone, I know what it's like to fail, I feel like the pressure on me is gone. I reminded myself that the sport is hard and even great athletes fail. I knew I had to keep going. Fighting a top-five ranked opponent, I have nothing to lose. He's a good wrestler, but my wrestling skills are also good. I'm confident in myself and I'm going to give it my all to win this fight." ”
Gasanov knows that if he fails, he will likely fall out of the top five and move further and further away from his dream title challenge. He doesn't underestimate his opponents. "Canady is a formidable opponent. We met in Phuket and knew each other very well. He is an experienced kickboxer with solid striking and kicking skills. He is also good at wrestling. His all-around makes him dangerous in every way, so I wouldn't underestimate him. My goal is to win as soon as possible, no matter what method is used. I'll stick to the full 15 minutes if I need to – that's my fighting style. ”
With Gasanov poised to hold on to his rankings and Cannady eager to earn his first victory in ONE Championship, who do you fanlike?