Akbar Abdullaev Happy to Showcase Grappling Skill Against Halil Amir

While he ultimately won via knockout, Akbar Abdullaev explained why his recent display of grappling against Halil Amir shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

Abdullaev knocked out Amir with a left hook 2:52 into Round 2 of their One on Prime Video 22 clash on May 3 to earn a $50,000 performance bonus.

“I'm feeling great. I have so many emotions now so it's really difficult to describe everything with words,” Abdullaev said at the post-fight press conference. “I'm feeling great. I'm feeling the best. It's like a dream now. I'm feeling like I'm in a dream and I'm happy. I'm really happy.”

Before knocking Amir out cold in the second round, Abdullaev also asserted his superior ground game over the previously undefeated Turkish standout in the opening frame. Despite having scored 10 of his 11 career wins via knockout, Abdullaev explains that his impressive grappling shouldn’t come as a surprise given his country’s rich wrestling history.

“When it comes to my wrestling, many people say they were surprised, but you guys need to understand, since childhood, I was wrestling,” Abdullaev said. “If you Google ‘Kyrgyzstan,’ we have one of the best teams in the world. Wrestling is pretty big in Kyrgyzstan. And I [have been] wrestling since childhood. But MMA, it's not just hugging and takedowns and just staying on the floor. It's all about [putting on] a good show. It's all about strikes, it's all about throwing punches and kicks as well. So of course, I was trying to show everyone that I can do everything.”

Abdullaev is currently riding a three-fight knockout streak in the promotion and is likely on a collision course with ONE Championship featherweight (155-pound) MMA champion Kai Tang.

“I’m not gonna do anything new,” Abdullaev said. “It’s gonna be the same strategy, because he’s also really strong [in the standup]. He’s a pretty good striker. I’m pretty sure we’re going to do the same things we do well. We’re gonna be striking, but at the same time, we’re gonna do wrestling too… I’m going to win. At the same time, I’m pretty confident of my skills. I’m pretty confident about all my weapons and I’m gonna use it and I’m gonna win.”