"It feels amazing, it's like a dream come true" - Mohammed Boutasaa dominates in ONE Championship kickboxing debut

At ONE 157, fans of kickboxing were treated to a Georgia versus Morocco matchup with Davit Kiria and Mohammed Boutasaa facing off. This was a kickboxing match in the competitive featherweight division.

Despite having less experience, the young Boutasaa dominated the fight. He had a flawless execution against his opponent. He controlled the contest and landed better and more strikes.

Officially, Mohammed Boutasaa defeated Davit Kiria via unanimous decision. In his post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson, Boutasaa said:

"I can't even describe it. It feels amazing, it's like a dream come true. I feel blessed, I feel thankful to everyone who supported me... I am also grateful for ONE Championship to have me on their stage."

He now joins the top ranks of the very competitive featherweight kickboxing division in ONE Championship. He explained what he wants next:

"I want to step up... I want to go with someone above [me]. And in the end, I want to be champion. Everyone above me is welcome."

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Davit Kiria vs. Mohammed Boutasaa play-by-play

The 22-year-old Boutasaa started the bout with a clear height and reach advantage. He threw jabs and feints to press his advantage in round one. Boutasaa seemed to hurt his foot from a kick, which caused him to stumble. However, it did not seem to affect him further.

Kiria continued to press forward with heavy kicks to the legs and body. The taller Boutasaa landed strong punches and knees to close the first round. Kiria struggled to find any openings on his opponent, who controlled this round entirely and landed better strikes.

Early in round two, Kiria tried to close the distance but Boutasaa countered this with a clinch and landed a hard knee. He also landed a hard straight kick and a knee to Kiria's head.

The Moroccan fighter took a hard punch in the clinch but otherwise picked his shots and controlled the round. Kiria turtled up in defense and did not have many answers to the onslaught. In between rounds two and three, the 22-year-old fighter refused to take the stool.

Announcer Mitch Chilson said of the older fighter:

"Kiria is stuck in that first gear."

In round three, Kiria fought with much more urgency, pushing his opponent back, controlling the center, and throwing salvos with tons of power. Mohammed Boutasaa countered these attacks with kicks, jabs, and lateral movement.

Despite the early aggression from Kiria, Boutasaa threw and landed more and harder strikes in the round. He threw combinations of straight kicks, knees, and jabs.

At the end of the fight, Chilson observed:

"[Boutasaa's] barely broken a sweat! Tremendous gas tank."