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Akbar Abdullaev believes his takedown defense will be on point when he returns to to martial arts' biggest global stage this Friday night.
After scoring a trio of highlight-reel knockouts against Oh Ho Taek, Aaron Canarte, and Halil Amir, 'Bakal' will face his toughest test yet when he meets reigning ONE featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai at ONE Fight Night 27 on Prime Video.
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With both fighters being best known for their jaw-dropping knockout power, many suspect that they could look to impose their will on the ground rather than opting to stand and trade.
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If that proves to be the case, Abdullaev is more than confident in his ability to fend off Tang's takedown attacks — especially after honing his skills in Dagestan. Speaking to ONE in a pre-fight interview, Abdullaev said:
"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."
Akbar Abdullaev misses weight ahead of ONE Fight Night 27 title tilt
Unfortunately for Akbar Abdullaev, a win over Tang Kai won't make him a ONE world champion.
On Thursday, 'Bakal' stepped on the scale not once, not twice, but three times in an attempt to make weight for his ONE featherweight MMA world title shot. Sadly, he was unable to meet both weight and hydration making him no longer eligible to take home the gold, even with the most decisive of victories.
Tang Kai did make weight meaning that a win for him will be logged as a successful title defense.
No official details have been announced, but recent reports suggest that their fight will go on as a catchweight fight. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda and ONE Championship's social media channels for information as it becomes available.
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 27 live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Jan. 10 in U.S. primetime.
