Halil Amir not worried about Maurice Abevi: “He looks like a standard fighter”

Turkish sensation Halil Amir will make his second ONE Championship appearance later this month and is confident of chalking up another win.

The 28-year-old fighter from Antalya will take on Maurice Abevi of Switzerland in a lightweight clash at ONE Fight Night 9 on Prime Video. The event is set for April 21 at the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

Halil Amir, currently the No.4-ranked contender in the division, is seeking to add Maurice Abevi to his list of conquered fighters to solidify his standing in the lightweight lane and earn a world title shot down the line.

While he respects his opponent’s abilities as a fighter, Amir does not see ONE-debuting Abevi as a “big threat.” He told ONE Championship in an interview:

“I don’t see anything too big as a danger. He looks like a standard fighter.”

Halil Amir made his promotional debut last September. He took out veteran and former ONE lightweight world title challenger Timofey Nastyukhin of Russia in the second round by way of knockout.

While he had his struggles early in his ONE Championship debut fight, Halil Amir stayed the course and banked on his power, eventually connecting on a solid counter right in the second frame of the contest that sent Nastyukhin wobbling instantly.

Recognizing that he had the Russian in trouble, he did not waste much time and moved for the finish, landing telling knee strikes and capping it off with a barrage of punches before the referee called a halt to the match right before the second round hit the one-minute mark.

Looking to frustrate Halil Amir is Maurice Abevi, who is also eyeing a winning debut. The mixed martial artist from Zurich has an unblemished record in six fights as a professional heading into his first fight in the ONE circle. To further hone his skills, he has been training at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand.

ONE Fight Night 9 will be aired live and for free to North American fans with an active Prime Video subscription.