Undefeated Kyrgyzstan sensation Akbar Abdullaev kept the ball rolling at ONE Fight Night 27, with the most memorable victory of his thriving career.
Though he was ineligible to win Tang Kai's gold — after failing to hit the 155-pound featherweight limit — the Tiger Muay Thai and Al Munar Team superstar's determination remained intact.
'Bakal' did not put a foot wrong until the match-winning moment as he dominated the ONE featherweight MMA world champion inside the revered Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, last Friday, Jan. 10.
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He put his hands to good use to sting the Chinese superstar from all angles. When the damage was done there, Akbar Abdullaev relied on his ground game prowess to pour more misery on the divisional king.
From there, he put a punctuation mark on his solid all-around display with a bevy of punches that prompted Herb Dean to halt the contest at 1:21 of the final frame.
Speaking to the media backstage following his triumph, Abdullaev was asked whether or not the victory makes him the baddest man in the featherweight MMA division.
In reply, he confidently said:
"I don't think - I actually know. Because I proved it today, who is number one."
Abdullaev's upset of Tang in the main event of ONE Fight Night 27 last week improved his resume to 12-0. All his wins have come inside the distance.
North American fans can catch the entire card via replay for free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Akbar Abdullaev looks destined to hoist featherweight gold
No one has ever been able to dominate Tang Kai as Akbar Abdullaev did inside the Mecca of Muay Thai last week. Though all was not lost for the ONE featherweight MMA world champion, his days atop the throne looks to be numbered.
Abdullaev's triumph will certainly push him up higher in the pecking order. Though he might have to face one or two more names along the way, another matchup against the Sunkin International Fight Club star is inevitable if he carries on in this form.
After all, he proved everyone wrong on fight night last week, and fans can be sure that he'll be at his pristine best if he gains another chance to run it back with the featherweight MMA kingpin.