ONE featherweight MMA rising star Akbar Abdullaev is fueled by the dream of leaving behind a career that young fighters from his native Kyrgyzstan would be proud to emulate.
Abdullaev said as much in an interview with the world's largest martial arts promotion:
"It is history, I would like to leave some legacy, to fight for my legacy, and do something for the new generation by showing them that nothing is impossible and you can reach incredible heights."
He added:
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"My goal is to land the ONE Championship belt and show an example that you can be a champion."
The Kyrgyz knockout artist was set to challenge reigning 155-pound MMA king Tang Kai for the crown in the main event of ONE Fight Night 27 on Friday, Jan. 10, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
However, Abdullaev became ineligible to win the gold after failing to pass a hydrated urine sample during the pre-fight testing. Additionally, he also weighed 1.75 pounds over the 155-pound weight limit.
While their clash at ONE Fight Night 27 will now proceed at a catchweight of 156.75 pounds, Abdullaev hopes to earn a second opportunity at the crown by soundly defeating Tang.
Akbar Abdullaev warns Tang Kai against trying to wrestle with him
Akbar Abdullaev prepared extensively for his matchup with Tang Kai by sharpening his wrestling skills in Dagestan during his training camp.
During the pre-fight interview for ONE Fight Night 27, the Al Munar Team and Tiger Muay Thai product revealed:
"This is about wrestling, everybody tried to take me down and avoid my strikes. Mostly it was because of my good striking, and everyone tried to wrestle with me and prevent me from hitting them."
ONE Fight Night 27 will air live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.