WATCH: Kang Ji Won sends Amir Aliakbari in just one round
There was a lot of hype and anticipation for Amir Aliakbari when he made his ONE Championship debut in March 2021 at ONE: Fists of Fury II inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium, but it was quickly derailed by Kang Ji Won.
The two hard-hitting heavyweight athletes went toe-to-toe, but Kang made quick work of Aliakbari with a first-round knockout victory, and the full fight replay of the match was posted by the promotion on YouTube with the description:
"An explosive KNOCKOUT closed out an electrifying night of martial arts action as Iranian behemoth Amir Aliakbari made his highly-anticipated debut against South Korean knockout artist Kang Ji Won in the main event of ONE: FISTS OF FURY II - proudly presented by foodpanda!"
It was a slow start for both fighters, as they knew that one clean shot could end the fight, but the Iranian star was pressing forward and pressuring his South Korean opponent.
Aliakbari then landed two punches straight on Kang's head, which opened up a cut on the left side of his face. But the AAA Team representative made a massive blunder when he left his chin open because 'The Mighty Warrior' sneaked in a powerful uppercut that instantly floored Aliakbari, and referee Olivier Coste was forced to stop the match to prevent further damage.
Kang Ji Won looks for his fifth win in ONE Championship against Kirill Grishenko at ONE Fight Night 23
Since that victory over Aliakbari, Kang has split his next four fights with two wins and two losses. He is coming off a second-round TKO win against Mikhail Jamal Abdul-Latif in Jan. 2024 at ONE Fight Night 18.
Currently, the Wang Hao athlete is preparing to face Kirill Grishenko on July 5 as part of the ONE Fight Night 23 card inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He will look to add Grishenko to his victim list and notch his fifth win under the world's largest martial arts organization.
ONE Fight Night 23 will be available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America on July 5 during U.S. primetime.