Kairat Akhmetov gunning for a world title shot or Demetrious Johnson if he beats Danny Kingad

Kairat Akhmetov is set to take on Danny Kingad in the main event of ONE: Winter Warriors II. 'The Kazakh' is eyeing a title shot or a fight against Demetrious Johnson should he emerge victorious.

Ranked No.4 in the division, Kairat Akhmetov is one win away from a shot at Adriano Moraes' ONE flyweight belt. However, he would welcome a bout against UFC legend Demetrious Johnson as well, out of sheer respect for 'Mighty Mouse'.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Akhmetov said:

“It doesn’t matter if I fight for the title or with Demetrious Johnson. Both are good options.”

“I respect Johnson very much. He is a 12-time [World] Champion and the best in all divisions. It would be an honor for me to share the [Circle] with him. But the title fight is a big chance for me to become the champion again, so we’ll go on according to what the organization decides.”

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Kairat Akhmetov disappointed with Grand Prix pullout

Kairat Akhmetov was a participant in the inaugural ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix in 2019 and advanced as far as the semifinals, following a win over Reece McLaren.

Akhmetov expressed his disappointment in bowing out of the tournament due to injury, foiling his dream matchup against Demetrious Johnson.

In the same interview, he said:

“I won the first Grand Prix round and should have faced Danny Kingad at [the next] stage, but I broke my arm in my first fight with Reece McLaren, and didn’t recover by the next fight with Danny Kingad.”

“It took a lot of time, and me and my team decided to quit the Grand Prix. And of course, I was very disappointed. I eagerly wanted to win the Grand Prix and face Demetrious Johnson.”

Akhmetov defeated fellow Grand Prix competitor Dae Hwan Kim in last year’s ONE: Collision Course II. Now, he’s out to prove that he can eliminate the Grand Prix finalist Danny Kingad and that it was only his injury that held him back from reaching the finals against Johnson.