Turkish MMA fighter Halil Amir left a huge impression in his ONE Championship debut. The 28-year-old fighter overcame top-ranked Timofey Nastyukhin via TKO to stay undefeated and enter the top five in ONE's competitive lightweight division.
ONE Championship shared this entire bout on YouTube for fans to enjoy:
"Timofey Nastyukhin vs. Halil Amir | ONE Championship Full Fight ... The knockout lightweight MMA brawl between Russian beast Timofey Nastyukhin and Turkish destroyer Halil Amir at ONE on Prime Video 2!"
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In round one of this high-stakes lightweight bout, the Russian fighter Nastyukhin took control of the ONE circle and pushed his opponent against the cage. He was working for a takedown but Amir defended with expert skill.
The unbeaten Turkish-born athlete Halil Amir was forced to handle some flurries from the dangerous Russian but shrugged off the punches. Near the end of the round, Nastyukhin secured a takedown, but Amir got right back to his feet.
In round two, Turkey's Amir landed a thudding lead hook which visibly stunned Nastyukhin. The Russian entered survival mode desperately trying to grab a leg or clinch, but Amir kept landing shots.
A storm of knees and punches ended the fight for the Russian while Halil Amir earned a second-round TKO and stayed undefeated. A new lightweight threat has entered ONE Championship.
What's next for Halil Amir and Timofey Nastyukhin?
With his shocking TKO victory over Nastyukhin, Amir has entered the top five rankings in ONE Championship and several great potential fights are available for the Turkish-born MMA fighter.
Many fans are looking to have Amir square off in the ONE circle against Dagestan's Saygid Izagakhmaev. This Russian athlete is ranked in the top five, undefeated in ONE, and trained by the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Amir may also face fellow Turkish countryman Saygid Arslanaliev. He is second in the world at lightweight and is coming off a TKO win against Timofey Nastyukhin as well.
Potentially, Amir could meet former world champion Ok Rae Yoon, of South Korea. Ok has notable wins over Christian Lee, Eddie Alvarez, and Marat Gafurov. He is just coming off a world title fight loss to 'The Warrior' Lee.
Timofey Nastyukhin is on a three-fight losing streak in the stacked lightweight division. Potential fights are available for him. For example, he could face former world champion Shinya Aoki who is also coming off a loss. Rahul Raju, Ariel Sexton, and James Nakashima are also all ONE lightweights who are looking to get back in the win column.