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Confidence is practically a requirement for any professional athlete, and Akbar Abdullaev has metric tons of the stuff.
Abdullaev will try to extend his perfect run in ONE Championship when he faces Halil Amir at ONE Fight Night 22 on Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Abdullaev said he has what it takes to hand Amir the first loss in his professional career.
Abdullaev also expressed his chances against UFC featherweight world champion Ilia Topuria and the belt's former holder, Max Holloway.
"I think they are big stars. But I'm sure if I got the chance to fight them, I could beat them!" said Akbar Abdullaev.
While some fans may question Abdullaev, the Kyrgyzstani star's confidence is rooted in numbers. Abdullaev is a perfect 10-0 in his career, identical to Amir's record, and is 2-0 in ONE Championship.
'Bakal' didn't just win his first two wins in the promotion, he exploded right out of the gates and spent as little time as possible announcing his presence to the volatile featherweight MMA division.
The 26-year-old star put away Oh Ho Taek and Aaron Canarte in the opening round of their respective fights for a total fight time of one minute and 25 seconds.
Akbar Abdullaev expects nothing but intensity from Halil Amir
Their records aren't the only similarities that Akbar Abdullaev and Halil Amir share.
The two fighters are certified finishers, and they have four knockouts between them in ONE Championship.
Abdullaev, who's yet to reach the one-minute mark in his fights in ONE Championship, said he expects Amir to bring the same intensity he has when they square off in Bangkok:
"Everything is interesting about this fight, it will be puncher against another puncher, both undefeated, with a strong fighting character, both give great shows!" said Abdullaev in the same interview.
ONE Fight Night 22 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
