ONE Championship: Kairat Akhmetov hopes to fight Demetrious Johnson next
Kairat Akhmetov extended his winning streak to four in ONE Championship after beating Danny Kingad. 'The Kazakh' dominated the No.3-ranked fighter in the ONE: Winter Warriors II main event to earn a unanimous decision win.
Being the No.4-ranked fighter entering the bout with Kingad, Akhmetov will be moving up in the flyweight rankings. However, instead of targeting a title fight against Adriano Moraes, he hopes to take on Demetrious Johnson next.
"I’d be happy to meet Demetrious Johnson and the day has come for me to meet him in this ring and I’m hope I’m getting this possibility to meet DJ in a fight and show my Kazakh spirit. I think for now, I’ll be contender #1 for the title." said Akhmetov
After losing to Geje Eustaquio in their rematch at ONE Championship - Global Superheros back in January 2018, Akhmetov regrouped and demolished his next four opponents.
During that run, the 34-year-old fighter from Kazakhstan prevailed over Haobin Ma, Reece McLaren, Dae Hwan Kim and most recently Danny Kingad. The bouts were won through the judges' scorecards, with all bouts being unanimous decision victories.
However, his chances of fighting 'Mighty Mouse' in ONE Championship may have to wait. Johnson is set to go up against Rodtang Jimuangon in a mixed rules matchup at the ONE: X event slated for the first quarter of 2022.
A victory two years in the making for Kairat Akhmetov in ONE Championship
Danny Kingad and Kairat Akhmetov were initially matched up in a semi-final bout at the ONE Championship flyweight Grand Prix back in 2019. The match was canceled after Akhmetov fractured his arm.
The fight was once again attempted in 2020 but the bout fell through after one of Kingad's cornermen tested positive for COVID-19.
For Akhmetov, this is the fight that he was waiting for and had been preparing for a long time. His victory at ONE: Winter Warriors II was a sweet one and it was a testament to his dedication to the sport.
"The Kazakh" overthrows "The King!" Who's next for Kairat Akhmetov? 🇰🇿 #ONEWinterWarriors2 #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship https://t.co/c9SqdVlpNN
"I have been preparing for this fight for a very long time. Danny is a very strong opponent and he fought with many champions so I’ve been looking forward to this fight. He’s been number two for a while. This fight has been delayed a few times due to different reasons and today, I’m glad to finally have a chance to meet him here on the ring and to get this victory." said Akhmetov
Akhmetov improved his professional fighting record to 25-2 and is now 6-2 in ONE Championship. The unanimous decision victory over Kingad was his 10th win via decision and he also owns 13 submission victories.