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By Hoang Nguyen  February 21, 2025 | 03:04 pm PT
Australian-Vietnamese fighter Martin Nguyen said goodbye to his decorated professional MMA career after losing to Russia's Shamil Gasanov at the ONE 171 event held in Lusail, Qatar, on Thursday night.
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Australian-born Vietnamese MMA fighter Martin Nguyen. Photo by ONE Championship |
Shamil Gasanov had won three consecutive matches at the ONE events before. On the contrary, Martin is no longer in his prime anymore, losing more than winning in the past three years.
With his advantage in the ground game, Gasanov caused many difficulties for Martin. However, the 35-year-old Australian fought tenaciously against his opponent's takedown attempts and dangerous strikes to avoid being knocked out. Martin survived three rounds and was defeated by a unanimous decision.
Immediately after the match, he waved goodbye to his fans as he decided to end his MMA career.
Martin was born in 1989 in Australia, with both parents being Vietnamese. He was a rugby player before turning to martial arts at the age of 21.
At the peak of his career, Martin was among ONE Championship's top fighters with a dedicated and beautiful fighting style.
At the ONE 57 event in August 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Martin knocked out Marat Gafunov to win his first featherweight title in this prestigious tournament. Just three months later, the Australian fighter defeated Eduard Folayang at ONE 161 to win the lightweight championship. He became the first fighter to win two weight classes in ONE Championship.
Martin Nguyen's final fight of his career, against Shamil Gasanov on Feb. 20, 2025. Video by ONE Championship
