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ONE heavyweight contender Amir Aliakbari is trending in the right direction following his second straight stoppage victory at ONE 164. The Iranian steamroller credits his longtime boxing coach for his career resurgence.
Aliakbari suffered back-to-back knockout defeats upon signing with the promotion in 2021, but he has since turned things around. Most recently, he picked up an opening-round ground-and-pound finish over former champion Brandon Vera.
After the victory, Aliakbari spoke with reporters about the influence of his boxing coach. He told SCMP MMA:
"Leading up to building Amir Aliakbari, I was cornered by the great Alireza Esteki. He wasn’t around for those two losses. But he is now, and since he’s been back it’s only been victories, just wins."
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Watch Amir Aliakbari's full ONE 164 post-fight interview with SCMP MMA below:
Amir Aliakbari says he has the best wrestling in all of ONE Championship
The 34-year-old rising contender is unquestionably one of the very best wrestlers under ONE's banner, and Aliakbari's firm in his belief that he's the pinnacle.
Notably, the Iranian won gold at the 2010 Wrestling World Championships in Moscow and at the 2009 Asian Wrestling Championships. On his talents, Aliakbari recently told the promotion:
“No one can match my wrestling. I have the best wrestling in this organization and possibly any organization. Ever since my head coach came back, they’ve been pressing my wrestling and my roots. That’s what’s going to happen from here on out.”
It only took a few minutes for Aliakbari to gain top control over Vera, which was the beginning of the end as the Greco-Roman wrestling star unloaded his ground-and-pound attack.
The result was a tad bittersweet for MMA fans around the globe, as Vera hung up the gloves following the loss. However, it was heartwarming to see mutual respect between the two competitors.
All of the attention now shifts to who Aliakbari will face next. With heavyweight champ Arjan Bhullar likely to face interim titleholder Anatoly Malykhin, expect Aliakbari to take on one of the division's top uncrowned contenders.
Make sure to check back with Sportskeeda for an announcement pertaining to Amir Aliakbari's next fight.
