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Reigning ONE welterweight world champion Kiamrian Abbasov is eager to silence his doubters against arguably his toughest challenger so far.
‘Brazen’ would love to spoil Christian Lee’s double champion aspirations when their paths cross in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 4. The clash between the two kings of their respective divisions takes place this Friday inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
North American fans can watch ONE on Prime Video 4: Abbasov vs Lee live and free for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in US Primetime on November 18.
As it stands, Abbasov and Lee are on two different sides of the spectrum at the moment.
Despite running through some of the best 185-pound fighters on the roster, Abbasov remains one of the most low-key and unassuming world champions in the promotion.
Lee, meanwhile, is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in ONE and would love to add another entry to his resume by adding an established foe to his hit list.
While a lot of pundits are favoring the Singaporean-American, undermining Abbasov’s chances would be a foolish mistake. Beating Lee is a tough task for anybody, but ‘Brazen’ does have the tools to pull it off.
Let’s have a look at Kiamrian Abbasov’s three biggest keys to victory against Christian Lee.
#3. Stifle Lee’s aggression and keep the fight at close distance
Christian Lee can go full throttle for 25 minutes if need be, which Kiamrian Abbasov is well aware of.
In his last bout against Ok Rae Yoon, ’The Warrior’ displayed just how dangerous he is when he’s able to set the pace and dictate wherever the fight goes.
‘Brazen’, however, holds the ultimate equalizer in his back pocket, which happens to be his elite Greco-Roman wrestling.
Instead of allowing Lee to get comfortable from distance, the Kyrgyzstani-Russian must dirty up the fight by keeping it within short range. Kiamrian Abbasov can slow the pace down through constant clinching and try to tire the younger challenger out.
The Novorosfight product is an expert at making his opponents carry his body weight. Let’s not forget that Abbasov also carries the size advantage over Lee.
Lee, of course, will try to move forward and Abbasov must cut his lanes and trap him near the circle walls. From there, he can beat him up with short punches, elbows, and knees and threaten him with his signature takedowns and trips.
#2. Kiamrian Abbasov must control Lee with his elite wrestling
While Abbasov’s standup game is remarkable as well, it’s no secret that grappling is his best attribute. It goes without saying that the 185-pound world champ must assert his dominance on the ground early and often.
Considering Lee is a proven finisher on the feet, it would be wise to put him on his back for the majority of the fight. After all, Kiamrian Abbasov possesses a smothering style that could certainly put the clamps on an electric fighter like the Singaporean-American.
However, holding Lee down does have its share of dangers as well.
Lee’s wrestling and jiu-jitsu are actually one of the most underrated aspects of his game. While we rarely see him on his back, Lee did survive several precarious positions against a grappling savant like Shinya Aoki a few years back.
Plus, the United MMA and Evolve MMA superstar does have four submission wins in his career, so we definitely know he has that in his repertoire.
Aside from taking Lee down, ‘Brazen’ must also find ways to avoid scrambles on the ground, where Lee caught a lot of his previous opponents.
#1. Avoid the outside game with Lee, don't get into his optimal striking range
Kiamrian Abbasov possesses a granite chin and has never been knocked out in his MMA career.
‘Brazen’ has also shown resilience to weather adversity and find a way to win.
In his last world title defense against James Nakashima, the welterweight king shrugged off a broken nose and delivered a devastating knee for the epic come-from-behind win.
But then again, Lee has a ridiculous 94 percent career finishing rate, so it’s best not to play with fire against him. If he gets comfortable on the feet, the 24-year-old has a full arsenal of devastating attacks and frightening fight-ending power.
This is not a knock on the Kyrgyzstani-Russian’s own capabilities, since he also has 11 career wins by KO/TKO.
But given Kiamrian Abbasov’s clear advantage on the grappling side of things, it’s wise to impose his dominance on the ground and eliminate any possibility for Lee to get loose with his striking.
