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Akbar Abdullaev discussed why he doesn't always showcase his underrated grappling skills.
Through three ONE Championship fights, Abdullaev has established himself as a future featherweight MMA world title challenger. Following two knockout wins in less than 45 seconds, 'Bakal' faced the previously undefeated Halil Amir at ONE Fight Night 22 and extended his overall record to 11-0 with a third-round finish.
Abdullaev has gained a reputation amongst fans for being a dangerous striker due to winning all his ONE fights by knockout. With that said, the 26-year-old featherweight from Kyrgyzstan could be more well-rounded than most know.
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During his ONE Fight Night 22 post-event interview, Abdulaev had this to say about his fighting skills:
"Even now, I'm wrestling with my friends, wrestling with my brothers as well. So, it's like, my wrestling was good even before all the fights but like MMA, it's not just hugging and takedowns and just staying on the floor. It's all about a good show. It's all about the strikes, it's all about throwing punches and kicks as well."
The replay of ONE Fight Night 22, including Abdullaev's $50,000 performance bonus-winning knockout against Amir, can be seen live and for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Akbar Abdullaev's entire post-fight interview below:
Where does Akbar Abdullaev stand in the ONE Championship featherweight MMA division?
Akbar Abdullaev hasn't appeared in the ONE featherweight MMA rankings yet despite back-to-back knockout wins against undefeated opponents. With that said, 'Bakal' has put the division on notice with his impressive promotional finishes thus far.
It's unclear when and who Abdullaev will fight next. Although it's unconfirmed by the promotion, the 26-year-old knockout artist deserved to fight a ranked opponent next time out to test where his skills match up against the best in the division.
Watch the fight-ending sequence of Abdullaev vs Amir below:
