Russian Muay Thai star Kiamran Nabati is quickly rising up the ranks of ONE Championship’s bantamweight Muay Thai division.
He earned his fourth straight victory in the promotion at ONE Friday Fights 81 on September 27 when he defeated former bantamweight Muay Thai king Nong-O Hama by unanimous decisionat at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
It was the most crucial win of Nabati’s career, and he’s delighted that the meticulous groundwork he did before the matchup paid off.
“It was a very important and serious fight, no doubt. I was 100 percent prepared, studied his style, and specifically trained for Nong-O,” he explained.
“But even so, he surprised me with his kicks. I was prepared for it. I knew he had good kicks and that he would be kicking a lot.”
With a huge foe in Nong-O successfully overcome, the 29-year-old is now on the lookout for the biggest and best the bantamweight Muay Thai division has on offer as he etches closer to the world title.
And if he had his way, a former titleholder or the number-two ranked divisional contender would be next for him, which would prove who truly deserves the first shot at newly crowned world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9.
“I want my next opponent to be someone ranked higher than me in the top five. That would be Jonathan Haggerty or Nico Carrillo,” Nabati confirmed.
“I want to have one contender fight and then fight for the belt. I think I’m just two fights away from the title.”