“I felt like I wasn’t myself” - Tagir Khalilov says broken hand held him back in disappointing loss to Kongthoranee
Russian standout Tagir Khalilov revealed that a broken hand forced him to hold back in his return to the ring against Kongthoranee Sor Sommai.
After coming up short against Nakrob Fairtex at ONE Friday Fights 67 over the summer, Khalilov was determined to climb back into the win column at ONE 169 inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't meant to be.
After three rounds of entertaining action, Kongthoranee was declared the winner via a decisive unanimous decision.
Looking back on the loss during a recent interview with ONE Championship, Khalilov placed much of the blame for his lackluster performance on a broken hand—an injury he suffered early on in the fight.
"The hand threw me off too — I broke it in the first round when I threw a left hook," Khalilov said. "I struck, and somehow, things just didn’t go my way. I felt like I wasn’t myself, and even those close to me noticed I seemed out of it in the fight. It’s like I wasn’t performing the way I should have been. I think I need a bit of rest."
After defeating Tagir Khalilov, Kongthoranee has his sights set on the ONE flyweight Muay Thai title
While Tagir Khalilov has now lost back-to-back bouts and two of his last three, Kongthoranee is an impressive 9-2 under the ONE banner while winning eight of his last nine.
That string of success has Kongthoranee looking like a legitimate contender in the flyweight Muay Thai division, so it should come as no surprise that the 28-year-old already has his sights set on 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold.
“Right now, the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship (125-135 lbs.) is still vacant. I want to be the champion. I have to improve myself to get to that point. Maybe once in my life, I will be able to wear the ONE World Championship belt.”
Previously, Rodtang Jitmuangnon reigned over the division, but a mishap on the scale ahead of his return at ONE 169 has left the division's top prize without a champion.
Could we see Kongthoranee challenge for the coveted crown following his return to the win column inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.