“He was pushing me” - Halil Amir says Khabib Nurmagomedov put him through the wringer in fight camp

Turkish MMA fighter Halil Amir got the opportunity to train with of the game's greats in Khabib Nurmagomedov, which he said prepared him well for his scheduled fight later this week.

'No Mercy' is set to mix it up with fellow undefeated ONE athlete Akbar Abdullaev at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on May 3 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

There he looks to extend his undefeated run under the promotion, which currently stands at three straight since he made his ONE debut in September 2022.

To help in his bid, he made sure to put in the needed work in training, including sessions with undefeated former UFC lightweight king Nurmagomedov.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Halil Amir spoke about his training sessions with 'The Eagle', saying:

"He is often immersed in training and helps his team, and, of course, he was pushing me during the training sessions."

Halil Amir was last in action in November 2023 when he chalked his third straight win with a first-round TKO of Pakistan's Ahmed Mujtaba.

His opponent Abdullaev, meanwhile, is also on a roll, winning his first two fights in the promotion last year. His most recent victory was an opening-round TKO win over Aaron Canarte of Ecuador in July.

ONE Fight Night 22 is bannered by the ONE women's strawweight title clash between world champion Smilla Sundell and Russian challenger Natalia Diachkova.

It will air live in U.S. primetime on May 3 free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.

---

Halil Amir recognizes opponent Akbar Abdullaev's strong suit

While he is confident of his chances in his upcoming fight, Halil Amir said that opponent Akbar Abdullaev boasts of crisp striking that he needs to be mindful of.

The 29-year-old Antalya, Turkey, native shared this in an interview with ONE Championship in the lead-up to his showdown with Abdullaev on May 3 at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova in Thailand.

Amir said:

"My opponent, Akbar, is a good fighter. He has explosive kicks, and he's a classic kickboxer. His strong point is obvious -- his striking technique."

Abdullaev has won his first two fights in ONE Championship both by TKO in the opening round and inside the opening minute with his aggressive style of fighting.