“Nothing's going to stop me” – Rade Opacic wants to maintain perfect streak in ONE with dominant win against Francesko Xhaja

Rade Opacic will only have one goal in mind when he goes to war with debutant Francesko Xhaja at ONE: Only the Brave this Friday, January 28 – maintaining his perfect run in the promotion.

The Serbian slugger has enjoyed three successive knockout finishes since debuting in ONE Super Series in 2020. He wants to add a fourth to his tally when he meets the Albanian giant in their heavyweight kickboxing clash.

Rade Opacic told ONE:

“I look at me and what I’m going to throw at him. That’s what I’m focused on. I’m just going to go and bang and try to hurt him and that’s it, man. Go for another win, for another KO and nothing’s going to stop me from doing that."

That said, the colossal striker understands he'll face stiff competition in Xhaja. He won't discount his opponent as an easy stepping stone on his mission toward a ONE world title shot.

Rade Opacic is familiar with the SB Gym representative, having met him during their time on the European kickboxing circuit. With that in mind, he understands what needs to be done to get the win and he welcomes whatever his rival has in store for him.

Rade Opacic added:

“There was some show back in the day that we were supposed to fight on, but it never happened. I have known him for some time. I know he’s a good fighter. He had some good fights. He’s up-and-coming also like me, so it’s going to be a really good matchup... He throws kicks, some good middle kicks and high kicks. His boxing is also good. He’s technical. It’s going to be a good fight. I like to fight fighters like him, technical guys that stand there and take shots. I see he throws everything.”

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Rade Opacic warns Xhaja that he will surprise him with different shots

The KBKS Team athlete's versatility with his striking has powered him to three highlight-reel knockouts.

However, despite earning a reputation as one of the most exciting and technical heavyweights in kickboxing today, the Belgrade native admits the key to victory is mastering the basics.

He'll be relying on that in his upcoming bout but warns Xhaja that he plans to hurt him with different shots to get the job done.

“I always start the fight with simple things. Simple things are the key to winning the fights. When I get more chances, I throw something else. In my last fights, I did a lot of body shots. I’m sure that he’s going to be watching for that and trying to protect his liver. I will mix it up again and when I see an opening, I will throw it."

Tune in to ONE: Only the Brave this Friday to see the action unfold.