“It will be a bonus winning fight” – Liam Nolan says he’s gunning for a highlight reel KO against newcomer Ali Aliev

Liam Nolan wants more than a win at ONE Fight Night 18.

In November 2022, Nolan recorded his third win under the ONE banner with an impressive unanimous decision win against Eddie Abasolo. Following an extended layoff due to illness, the UK lightweight will return on Friday, January 12, when he faces Ali Aliev at ONE Fight Night 18.

Aliev is a 25-year-old Russian who plans to make a statement in his ONE debut on Friday. Meanwhile, Nolan is more than confident that he will secure his second consecutive win, this time by a highlight-reel knockout.

During an interview with ONE, Nolan predicted he would receive a performance bonus against Aliev by saying:

“I said it would be a bonus winning fight for Avon, and it will be the same against Aliev. It makes no difference. It will be a bonus winning fight. I’m hitting so hard right now. The way I’ve been training I’m going to put on a great great show.”

ONE Fight Night 18: Gasanov vs. Oh on Prime Video will air live on US Primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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Liam Nolan is extra motivated due to ONE Championship’s partnership with Sky Sports

In late 2023, ONE Championship made a massive announcement about partnering with Sky Sports. As a result, several UK-born fighters will receive a significant boost in coverage, including two-sport world champion Jonathan Haggerty, living legend Liam Harrison, and lightweight Muay Thai contender Liam Nolan, among others.

While speaking with ONE, Nolan had this to say about the opportunities presented to him by the Sky Sports partnership:

“It could be life-changing. We’ll be able to secure bigger sponsorships because of it. When I think of Sky Sports, I think of [English pro boxers] Tony Bellew and Callum Smith and how big of superstars they’ve become. Maybe in the future we could be going that way. It’s extra motivation to perform on the night.”

Liam Nolan has had moments where he looked like a potential world champion in the ONE lightweight Muay Thai division. His main goal is to string some wins together and garner momentum, and he plans to start at ONE Fight Night 18.