Halil Amir praises Herb Dean for acknowledging Ahmed Mujtaba could no longer fight: “The most important thing is safety”

Fourth-ranked ONE Championship lightweight MMA contender Halil Amir made quick work of dangerous Pakistani opponent ‘The Wolverine’ Ahmed Mujtaba last weekend, but said it was the quick thinking and veteran experience of legendary referee Herb Dean that should be commended.

Amir pulverized Mujtaba into oblivion with a bombastic performance at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video, which took place live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, November 4.

After Amir delivered a savage beatdown in the very first round, it appeared as though Mujtaba survived to hear the first round bell. But after Dean checked on ‘The Wolverine’ in the corner, it was clear he wasn’t in good shape, and the referee made the executive decision to put an end to the contest.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post in a post-fight interview, Amir said it was the right call. The powerful Turkish lightweight stated:

“I felt that I would have knocked him out in the second round, so I'm happy that Herb Dean stepped in and obviously the most important thing is the safety and the health of the fighter.”

See the interview below:

Indeed it was the right call, as the first round was very much in one-sided favor for Amir, who put together one of the best performances of his ONE Championship career thus far.

What’s next for the 29-year-old rising star? There’s a slew of worthy opposition in the stacked ONE Championship lightweight division.

Amir can square off with a number of big names in the top-five rankings, including guys like Khabib Nurmagomedov protege Saygid Izagakhmaev, fellow Turkish sensation Dagi Arslanaliev, and former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Ok Rae Yoon.

However, it’s ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt that’s in Amir’s crosshairs, and the 29-year-old wants to face the American star soon.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of all the action at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade via replay on demand on Amazon Prime Video.