Danial Williams expects "the best" Rui Botelho - “I know he’s tough”

Danial Williams expects the best version of Rui Botehlo when the two strikers square off in a Muay Thai showdown on Friday night.

‘Mini T’ will be looking to bounce back from a tough loss against Marrok Force standout Jeremy Miado at ONE on Prime Video 3 in October. After suffering a third-round knockout, Williams will change things up, going from MMA to Muay Thai for a meeting with Portuguese competitor Rui Botelho.

Ahead of their showdown at the Singapore Indoor Stadium this Friday night at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video, Danial Williams believes Botelho will be as dangerous as ever after coming off a few losses in his previous ONE Championship appearances.

“He's tough, I think, because he's coming off a loss, a few losses. I think it's a pivotal moment in his career. So I do expect the best. Rui Botelho, I know he's tough.”

When Botelho steps into the circle on Friday, he will be seeking his first Muay Thai victory under the ONE banner after moving down to strawweight from the flyweight division. In five appearances dating back to 2018, Botelho has yet to get his hand raised in the art of eight limbs, but all his matches so far have come against the very best in the world. With little to lose and everything to gain, the 19-win veteran will come into ONE Fight Night 8 with a desperation that will make him a danger to any man that steps in front of him.

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Danial Williams is staying focused despite his opponent’s lackluster record

Despite his opponent’s lackluster record, Danial Williams remains focused on his opponent and honing his skills every day in preparation for their matchup at ONE Fight Night 8 this weekend.

“Focus is the key word out there,” Williams said. “So staying focused on him and working on the skills as much as I can and all the things I needed to work on, I'm doing that every day. So far, it's probably been one of my longest camps. I'm getting ready for a striking match.”

Like his opponent, Williams will be looking for his first Muay Thai victory in ONE Championship. His long Muay Thai matchup inside the circle came at ONE on TNT 1 in 2021 against ‘The Iron Man’ Rodtang Jitmuangnon. ‘Mini T’ went the distance, but Rodtang walked away with a dominant unanimous decision.

Since then, Danial Williams has primarily focused on working his way towards the top of the strawweight MMA rankings. Sitting in the No.5 spot, ‘Mini T’ holds victories over Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, Namiki Kawahara, and Zelang Zhaxi. A victory over Rui Botelho would get Williams one step closer to his goal of becoming a three-sport world champion.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch ONE Fight Night 8 live and for free in U.S. primetime.