Unbeaten Akbar Abdullaev on what makes Kyrgyz athletes a different bread: "Our life is all about fighting"

At ONE Fight Night 22, Akbar Abdullaev cemented his status as one of the most exciting rising contenders in the sport of MMA.

The 26-year-old has already built an impressive win streak with some rapid finishes under his belt in ONE Championship.

However, May 3 inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium was the real test to see if he is the real deal as he came up against another very highly regarded competitor in Halil Amir.

Abdullaev closed the show on his fellow undefeated fighter in the second round as he floored him with a left hook that brought everything crashing to a halt.

After the fight, the surging talent spoke about his background and culture which has helped shape him into the fighter you now see today.

He told the South China Morning Post in a post-fight interview that people from Kyrgyzstan are cut from a different cloth when it comes to putting in the work to get what they want, need and deserve:

"In Kyrgyzstan, we have difficulties when it comes to economics as well. So, you know, I think we're good because we're hungry. And when it comes to everything, not just fighting. When it comes to life too, our life is all about fighting. That's why we're always hungry."

Watch the full interview below:

The hunger of Akbar Abdullaev makes him an even scarier prospect

The talent of Akbar Abdullaev is clear to see in his incredible ability to find the finish through natural instinct and timing.

However, none of this would mean a whole lot if he didn't have the mindset and drive to back it all up.

Akbar Abdullaev is not the kind of fighter that is going to start getting complacent now that he is having success at the highest level and that only means he will continue to get better.

A scary thought for the rest of the featherweight division indeed.

North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch the entire ONE Fight Night 22 card back via the free event replay.