For American grappling superstar Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon, the path back to the World Title conversation runs directly through a familiar foe.
On Friday, August 1, live in U.S. primetime, Tonon will run it back with #3-ranked featherweight MMA contender Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov in a high-stakes rematch at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Prime Video inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
In their first matchup, the multi-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion tapped out the Dagestani ground game expert in round two and handed “The Cobra” the first loss of his career.
Since that defeat, though, Gasanov has mounted an impressive comeback with four consecutive victories, including a statement win over former two-division MMA World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen this past February to earn his shot at redemption.
“The Lion Killer” has genuine respect for how the Russian athlete handled his first professional setback and gave him credit for actively pursuing the rematch rather than avoid it:
“I’ve been super impressed with Shamil and his victories up to this point. He obviously could have made other callouts and stuff, but he’s going after the guy who beat him. I’m happy to be able to give him the opportunity to run it back.”
“I don’t think it’s gonna go the way that he wants it to go, but he deserves some props for wanting this rematch. A lot of people will try to run from the most difficult challenge. He, however, is chasing the most difficult challenge that he can.”
While Tonon is pleased to give Gasanov another fight, make no mistake – the Evolve MMA and Team Renzo Gracie standout isn’t going to make life any easier for “The Cobra” when the second chapter of their rivalry unfolds inside the Thai capital.
The American has been analyzing Gasanov’s recent performances and he believes the Dagestani’s aggressive approach, while admirable, plays directly into his strengths as a submission specialist.
Tonon told onefc.com:
“I’ve been paying attention, and he did really well in his past four fights. But, generally speaking, when somebody gets behind me, I’m pretty damn good. Like that’s kind of what happened in the first match – he got behind me and then I knee barred him, you know what I mean?
“Sometimes getting behind me is just as dangerous as it might be beneficial to you. So, in a way, his biggest strength can be a weakness for him.”
If the 29-year-old Russian does get crafty again, Tonon won’t hesitate to unleash his full arsenal of submission techniques.
Tonon, who tapped out Nguyen via rear-naked choke at ONE 165 in Tokyo in his last appearance back in January 2024, is fired up to continue where he had left off to rack up a fourth win in a row and re-enter the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title picture.
The 33-year-old declared:
“I know he wants that win back, but I’m gonna make sure that is not possible.”
Tonon Plans To Showcase Improved Striking In Gasanov Rematch
While Tonon can undoubtedly tap into his superior ground game acumen to overwhelm Shamil Gasanov once again, “The Lion Killer” has been meticulously upgrading his stand-up weapons for this rematch.
He might be happy to punish the Dagestani on the canvas, but should his plan in the grappling department hit a snag, he won’t be afraid to throw combinations and test his upgraded skills in four-ounce gloves.
The American warrior said:
“I have a lot more options for this fight. I have a lot more skills and more well thought out plans for this.
“I’m a bit more elusive, and there are a lot of things that would make me a better striker.”
For a fighter who built his reputation entirely on his grappling skills, with six of his nine triumphs coming via submission, such confidence in his rapidly improving striking represents a significant evolution.
In fact, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt believes his striking arsenal has reached a level where he could even dominate the #3-ranked featherweight MMA contender if they fought under pure kickboxing rules.
Tonon added:
“If this were just a kickboxing match, I think it would be a very bad day for him. I think his chances are significantly better of beating me when grappling is involved.
“But if we two were just going to strike with each other, it would be bad for him.”
