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If there were any questions over the danger that Nieky Holzken still presents, he answered them this past weekend at ONE 165.
Yoshihiro ‘Sexyama’ Akiyama was always going to have the odds stacked against him with their special rules super fight kicking off under boxing rules.
With that advantage, ‘The Natural’s' composure and lethality was at its very best. Of course, that is more or less what you can expect with a world-class competitor and striker such as the Dutchman.
The 40-year-old may not have had the best run of results in recent times but he is still confident that he can continue competing for the foreseeable future.
They say that the power is the last thing to leave a fighter and Holzken can certainly still pack a punch if you’re forced to stand in front of him.
He told Sportskeeda MMA that he’s happy with what he’s accomplished in his career but doesn’t intend on laying the gloves down anytime soon:
“This is all about my legacy, you know. I did everything in the sport that I had to do. My dream was to become a world champion one time. I became a seven-time world champion. And yeah, I'm also 40 years old now, you said ‘Sexyama’ is 48, but I'm also 40 yeah.
“But at the end of the day, it's just how you feel you know. I train very hard, I know that I'm sharp, I know that I'm focused, I know that I have knockout power. If I hit people they go straight to the ground, you saw it today, and yeah.”
Watch the full interview below:
Nieky Holzken put on a clinic at ONE 165
Nieky Holzken and ‘Sexyama’ were always going to put on a show for the fans inside the Ariake Arena at ONE 165 in Tokyo, Japan.
While both men may carry veteran status with their best years at the highest level now behind them, Holzken showed that he cannot be taken for granted in the striking ranges.
‘The Natural’ is still an incredibly precise and dangerous striker as evident by his devastating finish of his opponent in the opening round.
ONE Championship fans can rewatch all the action from ONE 165 via the on-demand replay available at watch.onefc.com.
