Martin Nguyen is regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters in ONE Championship history, but he has a big test at ONE on Prime Video 2 against emerging European competitor Ilya Freymanov.
Nguyen is currently ranked #3 in his weight class, and this will be Freymanov’s debut bout with the company, meaning he has a huge opportunity to jump right into title contention after his very first fight in ONE FC.
We had the opportunity to speak to Martin before he takes to the cage to try and stop Freymanov from breaking into the Championship ranks at ONE on Prime Video 2!
Here is our exclusive interview with Martin Nguyen ahead of his ONE Championship on Amazon Prime 2 contest on Friday, September 30th 2022.
Read More: ONE on Prime Video 2: Date, Fight Card, How to watch and more
Fight Preparation
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GMS: We’re just over a week away from the massive fight night in Singapore, how are you feeling in terms of preparation both mentally and physically? In terms of the weight limit for the fight are you feeling ready to go now or do you need to cut a little more?
Martin Nguyen: Have you asked my opponent that question?
GMS: I have not, no!
Martin Nguyen: From what I heard he is well above weight! For me, I'm good man. I'm at peace, everything I've done has been right this whole camp. I'm weighing in at 71 kilos at the moment, so I’m relatively fine. As soon as I get over to Singapore, the humidity over there is a breeze to cut weight anyway.
GMS: When do you usually fly out from Australia to Singapore for these types of events?
Martin Nguyen: Well I'll fly out tomorrow (Sunday, September 25th). ONE Championship usually flies out about six days before. I'll fly out tomorrow afternoon and when we get there in Singapore time at 10 pm. I'll probably be asleep up until the next morning, get a workout and start my week from there.
Starting Combat Sports at 21
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GMS: I was reading that you started combat sports at the age of 21, did you have no experience prior to that?
Martin Nguyen: I came from a rugby background, a rugby League background. So the wrestling and the takedown side of it just came naturally. I started to do MMA after watching a few UFC fights and I went with a friend and then it just took off from there. I just never looked back.
GMS: There’s that difference between League and Union as well were it would've been less stop/start for you.
Martin Nguyen: It is, it’s more athletic. I’m surprised you know about the League/Union difference, nice!
GMS: I’m in the UK, we absolutely know! (I decided not to bring up the 2003 Union World Cup final to the Australian-based fighter…)
Amazon Prime
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Do you feel any added pressure with the fight being broadcast as part of the huge Amazon Prime deal?
Martin Nguyen: There's no extra pressure, I just got to go out there and just perform. I’ve been on big cards before for ONE like the TNT shows, so I’m used to it.
GMS: You’re known as a knockout artist, but does your past in rugby mean you want to show off your grappling ability a bit more?
Martin Nguyen: I guess honestly I’ve got this ‘knockout artist’ label because I've just been piecing people up! But I came from a wrestling background. I also started off a year of jujitsu before I even started kickboxing, or boxing in general.
So I come from that grappling background, that's my bread and butter and that's what I love to do. But obviously with this fight, as every fight starts, we’ll be standing and he's got kickboxing ability, so you’ve just got to adapt to working whatever you can in your favour I guess.
Ilja Freymanov
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GMS: You recently mentioned how you’ve found it relatively difficult to find information on your opponent Ilya Freymanov, how long has it been since you’ve been in a situation like this?
Martin Nguyen: My last fight! These guys that are fighting out of Europe, I mean, they’ve got impressive records. Ilja is coming off multiple wins, he’s 10-1…you can't have 10 flukes. I'd say maybe one or two flukes? Yeah, but ten in a row? You can’t have that. He is deemed the next best thing coming out of Europe, but I don't really care man [that I can't find much on him], it is what it is.
He's fighting in the top promotion in Asia nowadays and he's trying to make his stamp, and here’s me trying to defend my position in order to get that title shot.
GMS: You recently earned your brown belt in Brazilian Jujitsu. I know that you’re somewhat in the dark about your opponent, aside from his kickboxing abilities, but are you anticipating taking this fight to the ground?
Martin Nguyen: It's mandatory to be training on the ground. So I know he's at least putting one to two days of work on the ground and the wrestling department, so you're not going to come in there and not be prepared at all and just focus on kickboxing. So he'll be prepared, 100% he will be prepared.
The level of grappling though that he trains with and whether he's got people that's going to actually fix things, fix his mistakes up and not just be yes men's and all that around him? That's another story.
That's where coaches excel when it comes to those types of positions and that type of advice. I'm sure he'll come in well prepared for a mixed martial arts bout. Yeah, he's, he's got kickboxing credentials and you know, he's got obviously combat sports credentials. So I'm expecting the best guy in front of me.
Rafael Fiziev
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GMS: You and Ilja are both training partners of top-10 ranked UFC Lightweight fighter Rafael Fiziev, has it been slightly awkward speaking to him before the fight?
Martin Nguyen: When I was offered the fight and they said he was from Tiger Muay Thai I straight away messaged Rafael because he’s my boy! I was like what are we doing here bro? And it’s lucky he already knew about the fight and he goes ‘it's just business.’
I was like, yeah, ‘I'm fighting a guy named Ilja.’ And he goes ‘Yeah, I know. He told me. I don't like this fight. I don't like this fight at all, because I know you guys and you’re both my training partners. I just don't like this fight happening when it comes to friends fighting.’ But, business is business, just do your best and give 100%.
Korean Zombie and Max Holloway
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GMS: In the past, we’ve seen the UFC and ONE FC do a massive trade deal when Ben Askren joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Demetrious Johnson came over to ONE FC. In that vein, if you could bring any 145 lb fighter over to ONE, who would it be?
Martin Nguyen: For me? I would want Korean Zombie to come over. He would be huge in Asia, though he is already a household name.
He’s fought the best of the best and he still is considered one of the best. How exciting would it be if Korean Zombie came over!?
GMS: I mean personally, I'd like to see Max Holloway come over to ONE FC as well.
Martin Nguyen: 100%, Max has got a tremendous following in the States. And obviously, he’s a top-of-the-range fighter as well.
But weight-wise? I think he cuts a lot of weight. In terms of the Featherweight division (in ONE). I don't think he'll walk around at 155 to be able to do that. I think he'll eventually just move up to 170 and just fight there.
Say if Holloway, if he comes over? He can fight, he can probably make that weight, but will he fight his best? Probably not.
These guys rehydrate, and these guys blow back up to 77 kilos already fighting at Featherweight. So it's just a different ballgame when it comes to this weight-cutting system.
ONE on Prime Video 2 - Nguyen vs Freymanov
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GMS: Looking back at your opponent for ONE FC on Amazon Prime 2, this is such a jump into the world stage for him.
Martin Nguyen: Who I’ve found in the past and who he’s fought in the past? Comparing all that stuff is irrelevant. But when it comes to this bout, I will probably be the highest calibre that he's ever faced, so this fight for him is a huge opportunity. Obviously, if he beats me then he will be title talks already. So yeah, it's life-changing for him.
GMS: But then conversely to that, if you beat him, you're already in title talks as is, but then if you take out one of the biggest promising fighters in Europe…
Martin Nguyen: Another one…
GMS: Yes, ANOTHER promising fighter from Europe that’s huge for you.
Martin Nguyen: The first one was 11-1, now it’s someone who is 10-1! I feel that if I beat
Ilja, then this is my chance to write my wrongs and get that title back.
GMS: I think that is a fight that a lot of people are very much open to seeing.
Martin Nguyen: After the fight now between Thanh Le and Tang Kai, who else is there in the top five that Tang Kai can fight? Especially after what he did to Kim Jae Woong.
Obviously, it’ll be me, he’s never fought anyone like me and I’ve never fought anyone like him. It’s definitely going to be an exciting fight if that ever prevails, but we will see what happens!
GMS: Thank you for your time Martin and good luck this upcoming weekend!
Martin Nguyen: Thank you!
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