"I’m expecting the fight to be full of blood" - Kairat Akhmetov on Tatsumitsu Wada fight at ONE 158

Kairat Akhmetov is ready for war against Tatsumitsu Wada ahead of their meeting at ONE 158 on Friday, June 3.

The former ONE flyweight world champion has been on a tear as of late, winning his last four outings. However, injuries have riddled him over the past four years, causing him to compete practically just once in each of those years.

At 34 years of age, Akhmetov is still in his prime and is looking at his healthiest in a while. His latest outing came six months ago, where he dominated a rising star in Danny Kingad through three rounds of action en route to a unanimous decision victory.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he promised to put on a show for fans against a tough opponent in Wada.

Kairat Akhmetov said:

“I’m expecting the fight to be full of blood. I’m expecting to show that I’m in great shape. I’ve prepared to the maximum for the fights and I’m expecting to show a spectacular fight for my fans."

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Kairat Akhmetov wary of Tatsumitsu Wada

Tatsumitsu Wada has had a rough stretch in ONE Championship, alternating wins with losses since his arrival in 2018.

However, he has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best in the division, including No.1-ranked Demetrious Johnson, No.4-ranked Danny Kingad, and No.5-ranked Reece McLaren.

A former DEEP flyweight champion, Wada owns 23 wins in his professional MMA career, including nine stoppages. He will be determined to claim his first win streak in the promotion with a big win against Akhmetov on Friday.

Kairat Akhmetov has studied his opponent well and believes that while luck has not favored Wada, ‘The Sweeper’ has certainly made it tough for judges to score bouts because of his skills and competitiveness.

Akhmetov said:

“He has had some tough luck and some good luck. I think his fight against a Cuban opponent [Gustavo Balart] was a lucky one for him. It was a very close fight against [Reece] McLaren, and there are many fights that were so close. I think it was hard for judges to decide who was the better opponent, that’s how close they were.”

A win for Akhmetov could push him into a match he is aiming for in the division, as he looks to reclaim the gold he once held.