“I didn't get my belt” - Akbar Abdullaev admits beating Tang Kai was bittersweet after missing out on 26 pounds of gold
Under normal circumstances, Akbar Abdullaev should have left Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium with 26 pounds of gold in tow after his marvelous performance in the main event of ONE Fight Night 27.
After all, the Kyrgyzstani powerhouse ended featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai's 8-0 run in ONE Championship and finished him off via a breathtaking TKO in the final round.
However, in an unfortunate turn of events, Abdullaev still cannot call himself the king of the 155-pound MMA division after failing to meet the demands of the scales.
'Bakal' missed weight and hydration leading to the biggest match of his life, making him ineligible to claim the belt and a $50,000 performance bonus.
Shortly after extending his pristine record to 12-0, Akbar Abdullaev lamented his missed opportunity.
The 27-year-old regretfully shared during the ONE Fight Night 27 post-event press conference:
"Yeah, I didn't get my bonus. I didn't get my belt. So I can't really say much more about that."
To be fair, Abdullaev could have fought uninspired knowing he couldn't win the belt against Tang Kai.
Instead, the Al Munar Team and Tiger Muay Thai affiliate sent a message by making it look easy against the Chinese superstar, completely outclassing him in striking and grappling exchanges.
Akbar Abdullaev says he fought the same way against Tang Kai
Akbar Abdullaev has always been an unrelenting foe who never lets up with pressure to overwhelm his foes.
Despite figuring in his first five-round war under the ONE banner, 'Bakal' stuck to a similar gameplan and beat up Tang Kai from start to finish.
He shared in the same interview:
"There wasn't really a game plan going into this. I was just going to do what I always do, fight in my manner, put pressure, dominate the fight, and take control."
The full replay of ONE Fight Night 27 is available free on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.