“I will give everything to deliver” - Maurice Abevi appreciates spot on stacked ONE 168: Denver
Maurice Abevi feels "appreciated by ONE" after being added to ONE 168: Denver. ONE 168 will feature some of the promotion's biggest superstars including Jonathan Haggerty, Kade Ruotolo, Superlek, Mikey Musumeci, Liam Harrison, and more.
The Sept. 6 event also provides the opportunity for many rising stars to make a statement, including Abevi, a lightweight MMA contender. During an interview with ONE, Maurice Abevi was asked about the opportunity to fight in North America. He responded by humbly saying:
“It’s exciting, and I feel that by fighting in the U.S. now, it’s a sign that I am appreciated by ONE. I appreciate that from them as well.”
Abevi followed up by saying:
“They want me to deliver, and I want to deliver. I will give everything to deliver on that date.”
ONE 168 will showcase two world title fights inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado - Jonathan Haggerty (c) vs Superlek (bantamweight Muay Thai) and Kade Ruotolo (c) vs Mikey Musumeci (lightweight submission grappling). Tickets for the highly-anticipated event can be found on Ticketmaster.
Maurice Abevi plans to continue comeback following first professional MMA loss
Maurice Abevi made his ONE Championship debut in April 2023 with a professional MMA record of 6-0. The Switzerland-born lightweight was quickly put to the test against fellow undefeated prospect Hamil Amir.
Abevi and Amir battled in the ONE Fight Night 9 co-main event. Once the dust settled, Amir emerged victorious by unanimous decision, creating a slight setback for Abevi. Since then, Amir suffered his first professional MMA loss against Akbar Abdullaev after a 3-0 start to his promotional tenure.
Abevi has bounced back with wins against Blake Cooper (first-round knockout) and Zhang Lipeng (unanimous decision). At ONE 168, the 24-year-old plans to continue building momentum against Samat Mamedov.
Mamedov will be another intriguing test for Abevi. The Kazakhstan-born lightweight holds a professional MMA record of 10-0, including nine wins inside the distance. Only time will tell if he can take out Abevi and make a statement in his debut.