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Tagir Khalilov recently gave an explanation as to why he lost to Kongthoranee Sor Sommai at last Friday's ONE 169.
The fiery striker didn't look per his usual self when he squared off with the Sor Sommai man during their flyweight Muay Thai contest at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking to ONE Championship in the aftermath, Khalilov detailed the reason behind his decision defeat to the Thai rising star:
"I thought I was in the right mindset, everything seemed fine, but in the fight, I just wasn't executing."
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Leading up to ONE 169, Khalilov looked like he was ready to bounce back into the winning column after suffering a devastating KO loss to Nakrob Fairtex at ONE Friday Fights 67 this past June. But Kongthoranee had different plans. He challenged the Russian hard-hitter with strong combinations and strikes to the head, effectively slowing down his rival right from the start.
Not only did Kongthoranee impress his Thai fans that night, but he also leveled up his skills as a striker who has the potential to make a big impact in ONE Championship.
Rewatch ONE 169 replay via Prime Video in Canada and the United States.
"The only way is up" - Tagir Khalilov resorts going back to the drawing board to work on past mistakes
Having been in this position before, Tagir Khalilov believes that the only way out of a slump is to move forward.
Khalilov is certainly one of those fighters who possesses the gift of resiliency. As he demonstrated in fights before, especially against some of the most elite names in the industry like Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Black Panther, Khalilov is someone who doesn't give up so easily. Because at the end of the day, he has a massive goal to accomplish. So he'll make whatever adjustments he has to make to achieve the highest pinnacle of success in Muay Thai.
Speaking to ONE, Khalilov said:
"The main thing is to keep working on my mistakes, move forward, and never give up. That's the most important thing in our sport. The only way is up, as they say. No going back."
