MMA
Superlek seeks redemption in Abdulla Dayakaev rematch at The Inner Circle 25
ONE ChampionshipA razor-thin defeat still needs an answer, and this Friday is when it finally comes for one of the sport's most respected veterans.
Superlek meets Abdulla Dayakaev in a bantamweight Muay Thai rematch at The Inner Circle 25 this Friday, August 7, inside Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium.
Their first meeting at The Inner Circle 14 this past May ended in a hotly debated split decision for Dayakaev. He dropped Superlek with a first-round right hand before absorbing a furious two-round comeback built on low kicks and clinch work. Two of the three judges sided with the Russian. However, the result left plenty of room for disagreement across the sport.
“My plan went out the window early when I got caught by a solid punch,†Superlek said. “Once I took that hit, I was forced to chase the fight and make up ground, but I barely remember most of what happened after that.
“I was planning to pace myself and fight calculated, not expecting to get caught like that, but I made a mistake and took the hit.â€
Superlek needs a statement in bantamweight rematch
Superlek now carries an uncharacteristic three-fight losing skid into Friday. He lost his bantamweight Muay Thai title for missing weight and dropped a loss to Yuki Yoza in kickboxing. His ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title remains the only gold he still holds. It's a rare stretch of adversity for a fighter with more than 170 professional bouts to his name.
A win over Dayakaev would go a long way toward restoring his place in the bantamweight title conversation. He built his training camp around correcting the tactical lapses that opened the door for Dayakaev the first time around.
“This fight will definitely not end the same way,†he said. “I am 100 percent confident that I will avenge my loss and beat Abdulla this time.
“Our first fight was great, but this one will be completely different. You said your goal is to knock me out, but I have the weapons to knock you out too, and I promise you, I'm not going down!â€
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
ONE ChampionshipJonathan Haggerty spent last Friday watching someone else fight. Next month marks his own turn again, and the stakes are considerably higher for the reigning bantamweight kickboxing king.
Jonathan Haggerty defends his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship against former divisional king Hiroki Akimoto in the main event of ONE SAMURAI 4 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, October 17.
The assignment comes after Haggerty watched his brother, Freddie Haggerty, grind out a unanimous decision over Rungruanglek TN Muaythai at The Inner Circle 30 in Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium, a result that pushed Freddie's record to 25-5 and snapped Rungruanglek's five-fight winning streak. Freddie dropped Rungruanglek twice across the opening two rounds before closing the fight out on the back foot with sharp counters.
“It was a great performance. It was pushing for the stoppage, but we didn't get it,†Jonathan said. “It's all love; it's a learning curve. In this sport, you can never stop learning, so we'll go back to the drawing board.â€
Jonathan Haggerty predicts fireworks against Akimoto
Watching his brother's disciplined performance seemed to sharpen Jonathan's own approach heading into his title defense. He has never been one to shy away from bold declarations before a fight, and this time is no different.
The 29-year-old Englishman has spent a run spanning multiple weight classes and two disciplines building toward this kind of stage, defending gold on home soil in Japan against a fighter who once held the very title he now carries.
“I'm more than ready. Fans can expect fireworks, explosiveness, and a knockout.
“Thank you so much for always supporting me for years now. You guys are a big part of ONE Championship. Fans pick you up when you're down. They make you positive. That extra bit of motivation just spurs you on.â€
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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