One Championship: Martin Nguyen open to quick Tokyo turnaround – ‘I’ve got a lot of fight in me’
- Featherweight champion headlines Manila show but still harbours ‘dream’ of fighting in Japanese capital – possibly as soon as October
- First up is Koyomi Matsushima on Friday, but Vietnamese-Australian feels invincible with Aung La Nsang in his corner
While most of One Championship’s other biggest stars threw down in Tokyo as the Asian MMA organisation announced a new era earlier this year, Martin Nguyen had to make do watching from ringside.
Cornering his friend and teammate Aung La Nsang for the middleweight champion’s defence against Ken Hasegawa, Australian-Vietnamese star Nguyen found himself in the strange position of playing second fiddle.
“I was just glad I was at that show to witness Aung La defend his title. That was the main fight I was looking forward to,” Nguyen told the Post.
Nguyen was speaking at the City of Dreams’ Grand Ballroom in Manila after a press conference for Friday’s stacked “Dawn of Heroes” card. This time the featherweight champion doesn’t miss out, with a main event bout against Japan’s Koyomi Matsushima.
“Competing in Tokyo is a dream, and I’ve still got a lot of fight in me,” he added. “Tokyo and the world are still at my feet – regardless of it being now or later I will compete in Tokyo one time or another.”