“He has a very wide and low stance” - Unbeaten Sanzhar Zakirov admits veteran Tatsumitsu Wada gave him a hard time

While things didn't necessarily go as planned, undefeated standout Sanzhar Zakirov is happy to have walked away from ONE Fight Night 27 with a win. Emanating from the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Zakirov stepped onto martial arts' biggest global stage for the fourth time.

Up to that point, he had delivered dominant performances against Dave Bangguigui, Zaiundin Suleimanov, and Ryosuke Honda. However, 'Tornado' knew he'd be in for a tough test against former Japanese MMA champion Tatsumitsu Wada.

After going three hard rounds, Zakirov was crowned the victor unanimously — a decision he was truly grateful for even if it came with some adversity.

"I feel absolutely amazing," Zakirov told the Bangkok Post following his win. "It didn’t go exactly as planned but I still feel great."

Their 15-minute scrap came to a halt more than once after Zakirov inadvertently connected with a low blow on his opponent. Asked about the accidental strikes to Wada's nether region, 'Tornado' placed the blame squarely on the Japanese star's unique stance.

"Because he has a very wide and low stance, unfortunately, there were a few groin shots," he clarified.

---

Sanzhar Zakirov plans on sticking around at flyweight after successful debut

While Sanzhar Zakirov's first three fights took place in the strawweight MMA division, his showdown with Tatsumitsu Wada at ONE Fight Night 27 was his first time competing at flyweight.

After a successful debut in a new division, it sounds like 'Tornado' has no plans of moving back down.

"I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to fight tonight, even," Zakirov said following his win. "I’m gonna be back. One thing is, I want to go up to 61 kilos because this whole weight thing is really hard on me."

Overall, Zakirov is 4-0 under the ONE Championship banner and 13-0 overall — a pretty impressive run for a fighter who's only 21 years old. With a new weight class and another big win on his resume, what's next for the budding unbeaten star from Uzbekistan?

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 27 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.