Kiamran Nabati is ready to prove he belongs among the bantamweight elite in ONE Championship. After a perfect 3-0 record on ONE Friday Fights, Nabati was awarded a six-figure contract with the company. Now, at ONE Friday Fights 81 on Friday, September 27, he gets a chance to prove himself against Nong-O Hama.
“[Getting the contract] is a huge motivation, and I also feel like I deserved it. But what really motivates me is that I’ve been given a fight with Nong-O, who is a legend of our sport. It’s a big fight for me and my future legacy. I’ve been trying to get into ONE for a long time. I’ve come a long and difficult way to be here, and now, I am fighting the top opponents. I’ve always wanted this. I kept talking about it all the time, and now it’s time to prove myself. It’s my time to shine, as they say,” Nabati told ONE.
Nong-O still stands as the #3-ranked contender in the official ONE athlete rankings. That means Nabati will have a huge chance to push his way into the title discussion with a victory. The Russian striker plans to usurp the Muay-Thai icon and gain a plethora of fans in the process.
“I was offered this fight for a reason. I am also up in the rankings now. After I beat Suablack, everyone could see that I am one of the top fighters at bantamweight. Now with this fight, we have to determine a new challenger. I deserve this fight because Nong-O is a big name. He has a very solid fan base. So now we’re going to make his fans love me. That’s going to happen soon, I think. Very soon,” Nabati said.
While the Russian is confident, he is weary of Nong-O’s power. The Thai superstar has been a force his entire career, and he became even more deadly in four-ounce gloves. However, Nabati is prepared to bite down on his mouthpiece and go right after the legend without a drop of fear.
“It’s no secret that his legs are his strength. And I’m going to eliminate his strengths. It is also no secret that my strength is my hands, but also my footwork. We’ll have to fight to the end, to the last drop of blood. And my job is clear – to step inside the ring and eliminate him,” the Russian remarked.
The plan is for a knockout to elevate him into title contention. But Nabati is clear he is prepared to go for the entire nine minutes if required inside Lumpinee Stadium. On September 27, fans should be locked in for a bantamweight war.
“I will be ready for all three rounds and for all scenarios, the bad and the good ones. In any situation, I will try to end this fight on my terms,” Nabati stated.
ONE Friday Fights 81 airs live on global pay-per-view on Friday, September 27. The action begins at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT. The event is available for purchase at watch.onefc.com.
