After being KO-punched by Danler at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in October 2020 and losing the featherweight gold belt, "Asian Whirlwind" Nguyen Martin returned to the field last year, but experienced an even more painful defeat. On September 24, 2021, "ONE: Groundbreaking", Nguyen Martin and the Korean "God of War" Kim Jug, who was fifth on the list at the time, walked into the cage together, and after only 3 minutes and 15 seconds, Nguyen Martin was hit by a heavy punch KO, suffering two consecutive defeats.
After this battle, Kim cut xiong came to the first position in the featherweight, while Nguyen Martin dropped to third place. This means that Nguyen Martin is getting farther and farther away from the former champion throne. Danler's next defending opponent is second-placed jiu-jitsu master Gary Toneng, and Kim will also face the fourth-ranked "KO male god" Tang Kai in "ONE: Invincible" on January 28. If Martin Nguyen does not return to the winner's ranks in 2022, he is likely to withdraw from the ranks of the top contenders in the featherweights.
"The loss to Kim Tsurugi cleared me up and I realized I needed to get stronger. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to make any excuses for failure. As a man, I completely accepted failure. I could have won the fight, but I was hit by a punch on impulse and I was overwhelmed by conceit. Obviously the opponent studied me for a long time and found the time for me to punch, I should play smarter and incorporate more techniques. This is mixed martial arts, and one punch can change the tide of battle. I experienced it all, and I accepted defeat like a man and saluted my opponents. I'll go back to the training ground and get back to training. ”
Nguyen Martin accepted the defeat, but did not lose the determination to move on. Nguyen Martin returned to Australia and found a jiu-jitsu instructor and boxing coach to try to add more threatening weapons to the arsenal. He fights with different sparring partners, adapts to various styles, and hopes to make himself more comprehensive. "I need to keep moving forward, merging various technologies and learning new things. I've seen a lot of new techniques at the Australian bootcamp, and that's the beauty of learning, allowing me to become stronger and keep compensating for my weaknesses. ”
"I'll be back on the field after about Three months, I'm not in a hurry to prove myself, I just want to try to get better right now, learn something new and then come back with a whole new look, not play for the sake of playing the game. I don't have a big financial burden and at the right time, I'll be back in the ring and let everyone see my progress. ”
For the upcoming defending championship of the featherweight world championship, Nguyen Martin also gave his own prediction. "I think Danler was able to beat Toneng and successfully defend the title, which is a judgment based on my own experience. Kim is now number one, but I don't think he can beat either Danler or Toneng. Toneng would fall down on him and surrender him, and Danler's heavy punch would destroy him completely, just as he once did to me. But I don't care if they win or lose, I just want to prove myself, and when I return to the ONE Championship, I will let everyone notice my progress. In 2022, I will return to the ranks of the winners and once again challenge the championship! ”
Do you think Nguyen Martin can regroup in the Year of the Tiger?