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Soe Lin Oo's fight against interim ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane had exposed his weakness: he struggles against opponents who know how to effectively use their height and range. Nabil Anane kept him at (long) arm's reach and picked him apart from the outside.
Now, Dmitrii Kovtun is planning to take a page out of Anane's book - but with his own twist.
"I'll read the fight as it unfolds. But in the clinch, I can make it a problem for him with elbows and knees."
If Soe Lin Oo plans to keep the fight close, Kovtun seems confident that he can make it work in his favor anyway. Knees and elbows are some of Muay Thai's most devastating weapons, and when used well, they can dictate the flow of the fight.
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"I want to be the first to put him away" - Dmitrii Kovtun says he has the power to crush Soe Lin Oo's legendary chin
Soe Lin Oo is called 'Man of Steel' for a reason. The Burmese fighter has a reputation for being one of the toughest strikers in ONE Championship. No one has been able to knock him out. Not yet, anyway. Dmitrii Kovtun is eager to be the one to change that:
"I know he's never been finished in ONE, and to me, that's a challenge. I want to be the one to put him away. This is a great opportunity to earn a performance bonus."
It's a bold statement against someone who has kept moving forward even against the promotion's hardest hitters. However, Kovtun believes his skills are on another level, and it seems he can already see a clear path to a finish.
Of course, wanting to turn the lights off on Soe Lin Oo and doing it are two very different things. The 'Man of Steel' has never been knocked out for a reason, and if Kovtun wants to change that, he'll have to be on his best game.
ONE Fight Night 29 is on Friday, March 7 and will take place in the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Fans in Canada and North America can watch online for free with an active Prime Video subscription.
