Tang Kai Defends ONE Featherweight MMA World Title Against Shamil Gasanov At ONE Fight Night 42
The most decorated featherweight MMA champion China has ever produced puts his belt on the line again next month. Tang Kai will make his second defense of the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title against Russian contender Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov in the main event of ONE Fight Night 42 on Prime Video on April 10, live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Tang’s road to the top was built on patience and precision. A six-fight surge upon joining ONE Championship — three of those victories coming by first-round stoppage — earned him a crack at then-champion Thanh Le at ONE 160 in August 2022.
Over five measured rounds, the Sunkin International Fight Club representative attacked the lead leg early, controlled tempo, and found his range in the pocket before taking a unanimous decision. He became the first male MMA World Champion from China, a moment celebrated by thousands of supporters back home in Shaoyang, Hunan province.
An injury interrupted his reign and allowed Le to capture interim gold in his absence. When the two met again at ONE 166: Qatar in March 2024, it was a unification bout. Tang delivered his most complete performance yet, breaking Le down systematically before finishing him by TKO in the third round/ The result earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus and settled the rivalry decisively.
A subsequent non-title catchweight bout against Akbar Abdullaev, after the Kyrgyz fighter missed weight, brought Tang’s first promotional setback. The championship stakes, however, remain very much intact.
Gasanov arrives as the most credible challenger the division has produced in some time. The Peresvet Fight Team and Tiger Muay Thai representative carries an 18-1 professional record with six ONE Championship victories, built on suffocating grappling and relentless positional control.
A first-round rear-naked choke of Kim Jae Woong announced him as a serious threat, and a dominant performance over former long-reigning divisional ruler Martin Nguyen confirmed it.
Most recently, at ONE Fight Night 34, he avenged his sole professional loss by defeating decorated submission grappler Garry Tonon, removing any remaining doubt about his readiness for gold.
On April 10, the Chinese champion’s sharp striking meets the Russian’s smothering grappling. Something will have to give.
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