Kiamran Nabati earned a six-figure contract to compete on ONE Championship’s main roster after amassing a 3-0 slate in the ONE Friday Fights series, and now he’s preparing for his biggest fight yet.
The Russian dynamo will meet a true icon of striking in former longtime bantamweight Muay Thai king Nong-O Hama at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs. Nattawut live on global pay-per-view on Friday, Sep. 27.
It is a chance Nabati says he has been waiting for his entire career.
“[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,” he told ONE.
“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.”
Despite being relatively new to ONE, Nabati already has a glint of gold in his eye. Knowing Nong-O’s stature in the Muay Thai world, he’s aware that a win in his upcoming battle could thrust him into prime title contention.
So, at ONE Friday Fights 81, he’ll be out to show that he belongs among the elite and has everything necessary to be considered a genuine threat to the throne.
“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,” Nabati said.
“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.”
When breaking down his fabled foe, Nabati is confident he knows exactly where his strengths and weaknesses are.
The 29-year-old star also understands he will need to empty the clip when they square off.
“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,” Nabati remarked.
“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.”
Nong-O may be on the backside of his career, but he is still one of the most talented and dangerous strikers on the planet.
As such, Nabati has attempted to cover all bases. However, should the opportunity arise, he plans to end the match in spectacular fashion.
“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,” he commented.
ONE Friday Fights 81 airs live on global pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT on Friday, Sep. 27.