“I want the belt” - Ellis Badr Barboza says Prajanchai has been in his sights since day one

While the rest of the common folk are grinding non-stop just to get the chance to challenge for a title shot, it seems that for British powerhouse Ellis Badr Barboza, getting to this point was only a matter of time.

The former WBC European Muay Thai Championed joined the ONE roster officially in 2023, and although he didn't get to enter the stage until mid-2024, getting a shot for gold has always been a question of if and not when in his mind.

With only a few days out from the much-anticipated title shot, Barboza speaks of his goals upon entering ONE Championship. In a recent interview, he said:

"For me, this is very normal. I didn't want anything other than the World Title shot. I've told ONE before that I wanted to fight Prajanchai. I want the belt. I'm all about ONE. I'm not here to fight people just for the sake of it."

Ellis Badr Barboza eyes Rodtang Sam-A if he gets past Prajanchai at ONE Fight Nights 28: "I want the biggest fights"

For Ellis Badr Barboza, the ONE strawweight Muay Thai belt seems to be just the stepping stone to bigger fights. As he prepares for his upcoming title shot against reigning strawweight king Prajanchai, he looks ahead to potential opponents after becoming world champion.

He drops a few names in a recent interview with Fightlore Official, pointing out Sam-A and Rodtang in particular. He said:

"Once I have the belt, I'm free to fight anyone ONE Championship wants to give me. I have some names in the future, like other legends in my division like Sam-A, who I'd love to fight. Rodtang would be a nice fight once day, too, if we ever make the same weight, I want the biggest fights where people are going to remember me."

ONE Fight Night 28 will air live in U.S. primetime free for Prime Video subscribers in North America.