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Heavyweight knockout artist Kang Ji Won knows that he will be right at the top of the heavyweight division if he is able to secure the win at ONE Fight Night 23.
Given his reputation for stopping opponents in emphatic fashion when he does get his hand raised, the South Korean contender is never too far away from a title shot.
After bouncing back with a win at ONE Fight Night 18, he faces the returning Kirill Grishenko on July 5 at Lumpinee Stadium.
A win would likely push him into position for a title eliminator but there's just one problem with that.
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The other heavyweight contender that would appear to be in this position right now is Amir Aliakbari who Kang Ji Won has already faced.
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They met back in March of 2021 where Aliakbari was stopped in the first round.
Since that point, the Iranian wrestling specialist lost for a second consecutive time to Anatoly Malykhin before going on a four-fight winning streak with wins over the likes of former champions in Brandon Vera and Arjan Bhullar.
His former opponent spoke on fight week about the possibility of facing Aliakbari for a second time, telling Nick Atkin in an interview for Sportskeeda that he'd rather avoid running this one back:
"Unless, you know, Amir Aliakbari is or becomes the champion anytime soon. If I win this fight, I don't really see the point of rematching Amir."
Watch the full interview below:
Kang Ji Won isn't looking to retread old steps
If there's one area where Kang Ji Won has been known to struggle during his time in ONE Championship, it's when facing elite grapplers.
His last two losses coming against Ben Tynan and Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida are proof of that exact statement.
With that in mind, arguably the best win of his career to date is the knockout victory over Amir Aliakbari who is going to want revenge.
A win for Kang Ji Won at ONE Fight Night 23 could lead him on to big things in the near future whether that involves Aliakbari or not.
ONE Fight Night 23 will air live and free at US prime time for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.
