“He Fought a Bunch of Nobodies”- “Brutally Honest” Kim Jae Woong Berates Opponent Shamil Gasanov’s Undefeated Resume

Kim Jae Woong plans to give Shamil Gasanov a hostile welcome to ONE Championship.

On Friday at ONE on Prime Video 3, Kim–the #2-ranked featherweight contender–will square off against undefeated promotional newcomer Gasanov in a high-stakes MMA showdown.

With his perfect 12-0 record, regional championship, and brutally powerful wrestling, the Russian brings a significant amount of hype into his ONE Championship debut.

Kim Jae Woong plans to give Shamil Gasanov a rude awakening

A veteran of five bouts inside the Circle, Kim isn’t very impressed by his opponent’s unblemished record. In fact, he believes Gasanov is nothing more than a wrestler.

And, according to Kim, that single skill set simply won’t cut it at the highest levels of MMA.

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“I think his striking is his weakness, and he covers that weakness with his wrestling. And I’m a complete MMA fighter. I believe I’m well-balanced,” Kim said.

“He only fought guys at the [Russian regional] level where he was the champion. ONE is another level, and I’m planning to show him that he has to be well-balanced to survive here. You can’t be a one-trick pony.”

Indeed, Gasanov has found plenty of success leaning on his prodigious grappling abilities, winning 75 percent of his professional contests by way of submission.

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Again, the South Korean standout isn’t impressed. Kim feels that Gasanov’s wins outside of ONE Championship are more a reflection of his level of competition rather than his talent. 

Kim feels ONE will be a step up for Gasanov

The world-class fighters the Russian will face in ONE Championship, he says, are a major step up.

“To be brutally honest, he never fought anyone legit,” Kim added. “He fought a bunch of nobodies. He fought BJJ white belts who don’t even know how to move on the ground.”

Now, just days away from their pivotal showdown at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the South Korean has a simple yet direct message for his Russian foe.

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“Hey Shamil, do whatever you want to do. Ground, wrestling, striking, it doesn’t matter,” Kim said. 

“When you think you got me, I’ll be gone from your sight, and you will be getting hit from angles you won’t even see coming. And you will be getting hurt. I’ll fight you anywhere and show that ONE is on another level. I’ll finish him in the second round.”