"I'm not here to wait in any line" - Reece McLaren wants shot at flyweight gold after ONE Fight Night 22 triumphÂ
Fourth-ranked flyweight MMA contender Reece McLaren is done playing the waiting game. After delivering another impressive performance at ONE Fight Night 22, the Australian standout wants to vie for the divisional gold.
The 32-year-old toppled Chinese MMA star Hu Yong after three hard-fought rounds inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium last Friday to get back into the win column. Before this win, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Kairat Akhmetov at ONE Fight Night 10 in May last year.
With momentum on his side, 'Lightning' believes he has positioned himself in the hot seat to challenge ONE flyweight MMA world champion Demetrious Johnson.
Speaking at the ONE Fight Night 22 post-event press conference, he shared:
"Honestly, [I'm willing to fight] whoever they put in front of me. I almost like, I'm on the go. I'm not here to wait in any line. I'm not here to play any game. I want the belt, man. I want my flyweight belt."
Should his wish be granted, it wouldn't be the first time 'Lightning' will go on to fight for the most coveted prize in MMA today.
Watch the full interview here:
At ONE: Age of Domination in December 2016, Reece McLaren squared off against Bibiano Fernandes for the bantamweight gold inside the Mall of Asia Arena. Luck wasn't on his side, though, as the then-divisional king eked out a split decision after five grueling rounds.
Reece McLaren puts on a solid all-around game to dispatch Hu
Although he initially struggled in his flyweight MMA tie against 'Wolf Warrior' Hu Yong, Reece McLaren finished strong to get back to winning ways inside the 'Mecca of Muay Thai' this past Friday, May 3.
The CMBT training center athlete endured a difficult opening stanza where his Chinese counterpart threatened with a couple of knockout attempts that, at times, seemed to have put 'Lightning' on wobbly legs. Hu continued that onslaught until the midway point of the second round, but the momentum soon shifted.
McLaren dug deep, finding ways around Hu's riffling hands with jabs and massive takedown attempts, which eventually helped him nick a split decision win in Bangkok, Thailand.
North American fans can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 22 card via replay with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.