SUMMARY
- Halil Amir is set to fight Akbar Abdullaev at ONE Fight Night 22.
- Ahead of the bout, Amir opened up on training with UFC legend, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Turkish lightweight MMA standout Halil Amir has enlisted some big-name help ahead of the biggest fight of his career. “No Mercy” puts his undefeated record on the line against another unbeaten rising star when he faces Akbar Abdullaev at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video on May 3.
Speaking to ONE ahead of the bout, Amir was respectful of his opponent’s skills and revealed the simple game plan that he will bring to Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
“My opponent, Akbar, is a good fighter. He has explosive kicks, and he’s a classic kickboxer. His strong point is obvious – his striking technique,” he said.
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“I don’t have a special plan for him. I will enter the ring and move forward, as always. My goal is to finish him. If I cannot succeed, I’ll do everything in my power to make the referee raise my hand. After my victory, I want to fight for the belt or with someone from the top five rankings.”
Amir has certainly left no stone unturned, given the caliber of coaching he has received in his most recent fight camp.
Halil Amir reveals what it’s like training with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Halil Amir has revealed what it’s like to train with Khabib Nurmagomedov after he visited the UFC legend for training ahead of his showdown with Akbar Abdullaev at ONE Fight Night 22.
Following the training session with the Dagestani legend at his gym, Amir said that he had a hard time on the mats with “The Eagle.”
“Khabib did several training sessions. For me, it was a very good experience. He has hard training at his school,” Amir revealed.
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“Khabib always has strict discipline during training. Naturally, the work was focused on wrestling and grappling… As a person, he is a very simple person. He is often immersed in training and helps his team and, of course, he was also pushing me during the training sessions.”
Amir is 3-0 in his ONE tenure so far, with two knockouts to his name. Most recently, the 29-year-old dispatched Pakistani finisher Ahmed Mujtaba in the first round to thrust his name into the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title conversation.