Kiamrian Abbasov: ONE’s Welterweight King Targets James Nakashima And Aung La N Sang

ONE Welterweight Champion Kiamrian Abbasov has told the company’s matchmakers that when fighting resumes, he only wants to “face the best ” the promotion has to offer. The 26-year-old Kyrgyzstani captured the title last October after getting the nod from the judges following a grueling five-round affair with the division’s former king Zebaztian Kadestam. After […]

ONE Welterweight Champion Kiamrian Abbasov has told the company’s matchmakers that when fighting resumes, he only wants to “face the best ” the promotion has to offer.

The 26-year-old Kyrgyzstani captured the title last October after getting the nod from the judges following a grueling five-round affair with the division’s former king Zebaztian Kadestam.

After an extended layoff due to the coronavirus, Abbasov is now eager to return combat and begin building his championship legacy. 

” I’m ready to get back to full training after this amazing rest. When I hit the gym this time, I’m going to work without ever stopping,” Abbasov said in a media release.

Abbasov has already set his sights on welterweight rival James Nakashima, and ONE Middleweight Champion Aung La N Sang as the two men he wants to face next.

I’m willing to defend the World Title against anybody, but I think James Nakashima deserves a shot because he’s undefeated and is highly-regarded. He’s a great athlete and I have no doubt we will have a great fight,” Abbasov commented.

 “I’ve also talked to my team and we believe we can go up in weight and challenge for the ONE Middleweight World Title. That’s a fight I’m very much looking forward to if we can make it happen.”

A fight against Aung La is unlikely to take place anytime soon. The Sanford MMA fighter is scheduled to face Russia’s Vitaly Bigdash next, has also said that if Abbasov wants a shot at the middleweight strap, he first needs to rack up some wins in the division.

On the other hand, a matchup with Nakashima looks a distinct possibility. The former LFA Welterweight Champion is 12-0 in his professional career and 3-0 with ONE. A grappler by trade Nakashima’s striking has improved leaps and bounds since he began spending time in Italy training under elite kickboxer Giorgio Petrosyan.

The American also holds a recent TKO victory over Luis Santos, the last person to have defeated Abbasov. A title fight between Abbasov and Nakashima would make for compelling viewing. So far, no one has been able to figure out how to overcome Nakashima’s relentless pressure, but Abbasov appears to have the tools to do so.

For Abbasov, it’s a wait-and-see game as to when ONE returns, but as soon as the promotion gets the green light to stage events, Abbasov promises he will be primed and prepared to fight,

” I’m just ready to go, and I can face anybody; it’s all the same. I’m looking forward to setting that date and defeating my next opponent.” 

Who do you think Abbasov should face first?

Aung La N Sang Targeting A Finish In Vitaly Bigdash Trilogy Bout

ONE Middleweight Champion Aung La N Sang will be looking to close the book on his rivalry with Russia’s Vitaly Bigdash when they next faceoff inside the ONE Circle. The pair twice went the distance in 2017, with each fighter earning a win apiece. Bigdash drew first blood but came up short three months later […]

ONE Middleweight Champion Aung La N Sang will be looking to close the book on his rivalry with Russia’s Vitaly Bigdash when they next faceoff inside the ONE Circle.

The pair twice went the distance in 2017, with each fighter earning a win apiece. Bigdash drew first blood but came up short three months later in Myanmar when Aung La claimed the title and became in the process, Myanmar’s first international sports champion.

Since winning the strap on home soil, Aung La has gone on a tear; undefeated in seven bouts, he has also captured the ONE Light heavyweight Championship and is currently one of the promotion’s biggest stars.

However, hiding in the shadows has always been the Bigdash trilogy bout. The Russian makes no secret of the fact that he believes Aung La’s hometown advantage influenced the judges, and he has been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to avenge his loss to the “Burmese Python.”

Bigdash’s chance was due to come on April 10 at ONE: Infinity 1, but the ongoing global pandemic put a stop to that event. The matchup is still in the works, and when they do clash, Aung La knows precisely what he is aiming for when the cage doors close behind him.

“A finish, so that there’s no question whatsoever, and I want to make sure he doesn’t ever want to fight me again,” Aung La said an interview with John Hyon Ko of Kumite TV.

” I know that he put himself on his Instagram as the rightful middleweight champion. It doesn’t matter. It is what is. I want him to come confident, I want him to have a good camp, and he is crafty. He’s fast and agile and super athletic. It’s going to be good.”

The Myanmar fighter is in hot demand at the moment, on top of a new ten bout contract, he has also been called out by ONE Welterweight Champion Kiamrian Abbasov.

Aung La says he is open to facing Abbasov, provided the Kyrgyzstan fighter first puts in the work to earn a shot at the middleweight title.

“He needs to defend his belt. He lost to Luis Santos a few fights ago, come on, focus on your division. I want to focus on defending middleweight,” he said.

“If he comes up and fights a few contenders and does good, of course, I would love to fight him. I would love to fight anybody;I am the champion, but if there is someone that is worthy or better than me, let’s go, let’s do it.

“I am not worried about losing my championship; it doesn’t matter to me at all. I just want to put on great shows and put on good matches for the fans.”

Aung La has one of the most unique stories in MMA. He has gone from unknown journeyman fighter, competing on regional shows in the USA, to two-division ONE champion and Myanmar’s biggest star. His achievements are a testament to his hard work and are an example of what perseverance can achieve.

“Its not just my career it can be for anybody’s career, you can make it to the top, you can make it to the pinnacle if you keep going and going at a steady speed.”

Aung La’s last outing saw him defend his Light Heavyweight strap by stopping ONE Heavyweight Champion Bandon Vera. If he can do the same to Bigdash, it will be the perfect way to end this chapter of his career and the ideal way to begin the next.

Do you see Aung La Finishing Bigdash?

Highlights: The ‘Greatest Match We’ve Ever Seen’ In ONE

This was a fight fans definitely shouldn’t have missed.

The post Highlights: The ‘Greatest Match We’ve Ever Seen’ In ONE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

ONE Championship 75 may have just played host to the 2018 Fight Of The Year.

Two-division champion Aung La N Sang defended his middleweight crown against Ken Hasegawa in the main event. Veteran play-by-play commentator Michael Schiavello couldn’t believe what he was seeing, saying the following (via MMA Junkie):

“Words can’t describe!” Schiavello said. “Suffice to say, Aung La N Sang vs. Ken Hasegawa was the greatest match we’ve ever seen!”

Don’t believe the hype? Just check out the side-by-side photos of Sand and Hasegawa’s faces after going to war:

Both men showed a tremendous amount of heart in the fight, but in the end Sang retained his title with a fifth round knockout after connecting on an uppercut. He also has to worry about defending the welterweight title in the near future, after successfully defending the promotion’s 185-pound strap against Hasegawa.

The full results for the ONE Championship 75 event can be found below:

  • Aung La N Sang def. Ken Hasegawa via R5 TKO (strikes, 3:13)
  • Leandro Issa def. Roman Alvarez via R1 submission (arm-triangle choke, 1:26)
  • Sagetdao Petpayathai def. Ma Jia Wen via unanimous decision
  • Tetsuya Yamada def. Rafael Nunes via R 2 TKO (doctor’s stoppage, 4:05)
  • Chen Lei def. Ahmad Qais Jasoor via R3 TKO (1:27)
  • Kritsada Kongsrichai def. Jeremy Miado via unanimous decision
  • Mite Yine def. Saw Darwait via R1 TKO (strikes, 2:48)

The post Highlights: The ‘Greatest Match We’ve Ever Seen’ In ONE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Highlights: The ‘Greatest Match We’ve Ever Seen’ In ONE

This was a fight fans definitely shouldn’t have missed.

The post Highlights: The ‘Greatest Match We’ve Ever Seen’ In ONE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

ONE Championship 75 may have just played host to the 2018 Fight Of The Year.

Two-division champion Aung La N Sang defended his middleweight crown against Ken Hasegawa in the main event. Veteran play-by-play commentator Michael Schiavello couldn’t believe what he was seeing, saying the following (via MMA Junkie):

“Words can’t describe!” Schiavello said. “Suffice to say, Aung La N Sang vs. Ken Hasegawa was the greatest match we’ve ever seen!”

Don’t believe the hype? Just check out the side-by-side photos of Sand and Hasegawa’s faces after going to war:

Both men showed a tremendous amount of heart in the fight, but in the end Sang retained his title with a fifth round knockout after connecting on an uppercut. He also has to worry about defending the welterweight title in the near future, after successfully defending the promotion’s 185-pound strap against Hasegawa.

The full results for the ONE Championship 75 event can be found below:

  • Aung La N Sang def. Ken Hasegawa via R5 TKO (strikes, 3:13)
  • Leandro Issa def. Roman Alvarez via R1 submission (arm-triangle choke, 1:26)
  • Sagetdao Petpayathai def. Ma Jia Wen via unanimous decision
  • Tetsuya Yamada def. Rafael Nunes via R 2 TKO (doctor’s stoppage, 4:05)
  • Chen Lei def. Ahmad Qais Jasoor via R3 TKO (1:27)
  • Kritsada Kongsrichai def. Jeremy Miado via unanimous decision
  • Mite Yine def. Saw Darwait via R1 TKO (strikes, 2:48)

The post Highlights: The ‘Greatest Match We’ve Ever Seen’ In ONE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

ONE Championship 56 Results: Aung La N Sang Makes History, Tops Vitaly Bigdash

Aung La N Sang made history Friday at ONE Championship: Light of a Nation, winning the middleweight title with a victory over Vitaly Bigdash. History, ladies & gentlemen. Myanmar has its first World Champion! #ONEFightNight #Yangon #MMA pic.twitter.com/UoMyqHz1LQ — ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 30, 2017 The main event from the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon […]

Aung La N Sang made history Friday at ONE Championship: Light of a Nation, winning the middleweight title with a victory over Vitaly Bigdash. History, ladies & gentlemen. Myanmar has its first World Champion! #ONEFightNight #Yangon #MMA pic.twitter.com/UoMyqHz1LQ — ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 30, 2017 The main event from the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon […]

ONE Championship 56 Receives Vitaly Bigdash-Aung La N Sang

Over the weekend, Vitaly Bigdash was called out by reigning ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren. While many would love to see Askren taken on the ONE middleweight champion, Bigdash is headed for something different. Bigdash (9-0) will put his unbeaten record and title on the line June 30 at ONE Championship 56: Light of a […]

Over the weekend, Vitaly Bigdash was called out by reigning ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren. While many would love to see Askren taken on the ONE middleweight champion, Bigdash is headed for something different. Bigdash (9-0) will put his unbeaten record and title on the line June 30 at ONE Championship 56: Light of a […]