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ONE Championship welterweight world champion Kiamrian 'Brazen' Abbasov will be fighting for a second belt in the main event of ONE: Full Circle.
The reigning 185-pound champion will challenge current double champ Reinier 'The Dutch Knight' de Ridder for the middleweight belt. If you want to know how Abbasov would size up against the Dutch grappling marvel, watch his 2019 title-winning bout with then-champion Zebaztian Kadestam.
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Right off the bat, you'll notice that Abbasov looks undersized compared to Kadestam's wider frame. He almost looked smaller by 1 weight class at the time.
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With Kadestam being known for his knockout power, Abbasov employed the smartest gameplan he could. The well-rounded Kyrgyzstani didn't go straight to grappling as he was aware that Kadestam would be prepared to stuff takedowns. Instead, 'Brazen' went after the then-champion in the striking department, surprising him.
While Kadestam was worried about a takedown, Abbasov would freely punch him in the face with combinations. Just as Kadestam was getting comfortable with the fight standing up, Abbasov blasted him with a takedown. This was the story of the entire fight. Abbasov kept Kadestam on his toes by becoming a threat both on the feet and on the ground.
Watch the full fight here:
Kiamrian Abbasov will fight for a second belt at ONE Championship: Full Circle
On February 25, at ONE: Full Circle, Kiamrian Abbasov will try to make history by taking on Reinier de Ridder for the ONE middleweight world championship. Fighting another specialist from the opposite end of the spectrum, Abbasov will now have to deal with a grappler in de Ridder.
Once again, 'Brazen' will be giving away a size advantage against the 6'4", 225-pound frame of de Ridder. Additionally, current ONE double champ de Ridder is very transparent when it comes to his strengths. He is a grappling specialist and never pretends that he is not going for the takedown and the submission.
It will be interesting to see how the smaller Abbasov deals with the world-class grappling assault of a bigger opponent. Tune in on February 25 to find out.
