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ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong doesn’t expect Brandon Vera vs. Amir Aliakbari to go the distance.
Former ONE heavyweight world champion Vera is looking to get back on track with a win against wrestling specialist Aliakbari at ONE 164. Due to their contrasting fighting styles, some people expect the judges to get a break for this fight, including Sityodtong. During an interview with CNN Sports Desk, the ONE CEO had this to say about the upcoming heavyweight matchup:
“The question is, can Amir Aliakbari use his world-champion wrestling and take Brandon down and TKO him via ground-and-pound? If Brandon is able to keep it on the feet, Brandon is a far more technical and far more superior striker than Amir is. But you know, heavyweights against heavyweights, KO artists, one big punch and it's over."
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‘The Truth’ is on a brutal two-fight stretch. Vera attempted to become a two-division world champion but was denied by former light heavyweight king Aung La N Sang. In his very next fight, he lost his heavyweight title to Arjan Bhullar.
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Meanwhile, Aliakbari lost his first two fights with the promotion before an impressive win against former world title challenger Mauro Cerilli in August.
Watch Chatri Sityodtong's interview with CNN Sports Desk here.
Chatri Sityodtong is surprised Brandon Vera accepted the Amir Aliakbari matchup
Amir Aliakbari is a tough matchup for Brandon Vera. The former ONE heavyweight world champion is a striking specialist who is 45 years old. Therefore, a 34-year-old with a wrestling pedigree like Aliakbari could create problems for ‘The Truth'.
During the same interview with CNN Sports Desk, Chatri Sityodtong had this to say about Vera accepting the fight at ONE 164:
"But this is a very tough test. It's a very stiff test. I'm actually surprised, it just shows you how much courage, how much belief he has to accept this fight. After his last fight, he just comes in, and you know, Amir Aliakbari is a very dangerous boy. He's got dynamite in his hand."
Vera shouldn’t be underestimated because of his last two losses. Before fighting Aung La N Sang at light heavyweight, ‘The Truth’ won his first four ONE Championship fights via KO/TKO. With that said, a loss against Aliakbari would put the 45-year-old former heavyweight world champion’s MMA career in a weird spot.
