Korean MMA star Oh Ho-taek to face 'The Cobra' in Bangkok

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Published: 08 Jan. 2024, 09:04 Updated: 08 Jan. 2024, 17:01

Korean MMA star Oh Ho-taek to face 'The Cobra' in Bangkok

Korea's Oh Ho-taek is set to face No. 4-ranked Shamil Gasanov at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Jan. 12, broadcast live on Prime Video. [ONE]

ONE Championship’s first U.S. primetime card of the year has seen a major shakeup.

Now, the main event will feature a pivotal MMA showdown between two of the sport’s most exciting featherweights, as No. 4-ranked Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov will face Korean star “Spider” Oh Ho-taek at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, Jan. 12.

Reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 was scheduled to defend his belt against Elias Mahmoudi in the headline attraction of ONE Fight Night 18 on Prime Video, but a rib injury has forced the French-Algerian striker to withdraw from the contest.

Meanwhile, Superlek will defend his gold against multiple-time K-1 World Champion Takeru Segawa at ONE 165 in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, Jan. 28.

The battle between "The Cobra" and "Spider" will certainly impact the top-five rankings and the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title picture.

Gasanov entered the world’s largest martial arts organization in 2022 with an unblemished professional record and loads of hype surrounding him.

He immediately lived up to that hype with a stunning first-round submission victory over Korean knockout artist Kim Jae-woong, who was the No. 2-ranked featherweight MMA contender at that time.

That win earned the Dagestani a spot in the rankings and a high-stakes showdown against former World Title challenger Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon at ONE Fight Night 12 last July.

Gasanov would suffer his first career defeat against the American superstar that night, succumbing to a brutal kneebar in one of the year’s most captivating ground battles.

Now ranked No. 4 in the talent-rich featherweight MMA division, the 28-year-old hopes to restart his meteoric rise, and his journey begins with the ONE Fight Night 18 main event.

Like “The Cobra,” Oh impressed in his promotional debut, earning a thrilling decision victory over former Pancrase Champion Ryogo Takahashi in September 2022.

The 30-year-old Korean’s momentum would stall in his sophomore appearance six months later, though. At ONE Fight Night 8, undefeated phenom Akbar Abdullaev shocked “Spider” and snapped his seven-fight winning streak.

A win over Gasanov at ONE Fight Night 18 would put Oh back on track and remind fans of his championship-caliber talent.