Fifth-ranked featherweight MMA star Akbar Abdullaev has been undeniable since joining ONE Championship. The undefeated star has ripped through the weight bracket, wreaking havoc along the way.
At ONE Fight Night 27 on Saturday, 11th January, he has the chance to snatch the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title from reigning king Tang Kai inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
So, let’s look at how this golden opportunity came about.
“Bakal” arrived in the world’s largest martial arts organization at ONE Fight Night 8 in March 2023. He was tasked with taking on South Korean slugger Oh Ho Taek and wasted very little time once the bell rang.
Staying fast and frightening, Abdullaev threw punches in quick succession. A well-timed looping uppercut then stunned Oh and left him vulnerable to the following barrage of strikes from the Krygz star that forced a stop to the contest after just 44 seconds.
With Abdullaev having barely broken a sweat in his promotional bow, he made a fast turnaround for his next bout at ONE Fight Night 12 four months later. This time, fellow unbeaten prospect Aaron Canarte was his opponent.
The Ecuadorian star’s 10-0 record may have been a cause for concern for many fighters, but “Bakal” didn’t give it a second thought. He came out swinging and landed a spinning heel kick to Canarte’s head within the first ten seconds to assert his authority.
At the 30-second mark, Abdullaev backed Canarte up against the ropes and executed a perfect spinning back kick to his stomach. The streaking star grimaced and darted away to recover, but Abdullaev chased him, took the action to the mat, and ended proceedings via ground-and-pound at the 0:41 mark.
Untouched and unfazed, the 21-year-old then went away to hone his skills. It was clear the challenges needed to be bigger, badder, and better than ever before if he was truly going to be tested. So, the ONE fightmakers went to the deck and drew an ace.
Enter: Halil Amir. The Turkish star was also undefeated in his career, and he had scored two stoppages in three outings in ONE. He was jockeying for a top-five position, so it made all the sense in the world for him to collide with Abdullaev in May 2024 at ONE Fight Night 22.
However, once again, “Bakal” paid little attention to his foe’s credentials. He put his stamp on the bout right away by pressing forward and utilizing his wrestling and striking skills to wear Amir down.
Like a predator playing with its prey, Abdullaev knew he could pick his finish, and it came midway through the second round when he threw a left hook that was quicker than a hiccup to end Amir’s unbeaten run and extend his record to 11-0.
Three destructive finishes in a row have now rightfully earned him a chance to capture gold in ONE Fight Night 27’s main event. And if he can unleash the same wrath we’ve seen in his tenure so far against Tang next month, ONE Championship’s featherweight MMA ranks will be shaken to its core by its new king.
