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‘See who’s better at grappling’ — Oh Ho-taek welcomes ground battle against Gasanov

Published: 10 Jan. 2024, 11:33 Updated: 10 Jan. 2024, 14:34

JIM BULLEY
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Oh ″Spider″ Ho-taek [ONE]

Oh “Spider” Ho-taek has the biggest opportunity of his career ahead of him at ONE Fight Night 18 on Prime Video.

The rising Korean star’s match with Shamil “Cobra” Gasanov has been elevated to the main event slot live in U.S. primetime on Friday, so there’ll be more eyes than ever on his next performance.

On top of that, “Spider” faces the featherweight MMA division’s No. 4-ranked athlete. If he can engineer an impressive victory against the highly regarded Russian, Oh could rocket up the rankings.

Looking toward his tough test at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Oh said:

“While my opponent is strong, I’m more motivated to win against a stronger opponent than I would be against a weaker one.”

At 13-1 with nine submission wins, “Cobra” is likely the strongest grappler Oh has faced in his MMA career to date.

However, rather than try to steer clear of the threat Gasanov poses on the canvas, the 30-year-old wants to use this bout to prove how good his own ground game is.

“Although I’m an all-rounder, in this match I want to see who’s better at grappling, which is Gasanov’s strength," Oh said.

“I’ll want to take it to the ground once my body warms up, and I’d like to see who’s better there. I’ll persistently grapple to see who’s better until the end.”

Oh is under no illusions about what he’ll face when he takes on Shamil Gasanov at ONE Fight Night 18.

“Spider” thinks that his rival’s grappling is the only dimension he has to his game, but he expects it to come at him thick and fast.

Oh is formulating a plan to deal with this and thinks he can use “Cobra’s” one-way track against him.

“He’s strong and known as a wrestling grappler" Oh said. "I think his striking is still lacking. It seems like grappling is all he’ll have for this match.

“He’ll probably push with his strong wrestling right from the start. I plan to counter him.”

Oh is confident he has more tools to employ when they clash inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Using his well-rounded combination of skills, the Extreme Combat athlete will be gunning for a stoppage against his highly ranked foe – but he’ll take victory by any means necessary.

“In terms of striking, I believe I have a longer reach with kicks and punches, and I have more weapons," Oh said. "My kicks, takedowns, and grappling are all dangerous.

“I’ll be looking for a finish, but I’m also considering a decision since MMA has many variables.”