“I’ll KO him in the first round” - Hu Yong eyes quick finish of undefeated Sanzhar Zakirov at ONE Fight Night 36

Chinese MMA fighter 'Wolf Warrior' Hu Yong does not plan to spend too much time on the global stage of ONE Championship when he hops back into action in less than 48 hours.

Emanating live from Bangkok, Thailand, the No.5-ranked contender faces No.4-ranked Sanzhar Zakirov at ONE Fight Night 36 in a flyweight MMA tiff that has world title implications written all over it.

The Fighting Bros Club martial artist has won eight out of 10 fights under the ONE spotlight, and another big win over the undefeated 22-year-old Uzbekistani could push him up the divisional ladder as he chases a career-first world title matchup against divisional king Yuya Wakamatsu.

Ahead of this pivotal showdown, the organization caught up with the 29-year-old to get his prediction. In response, he shared:

"If things go smoothly, I’ll KO him in the first round. If not, I’ll TKO him in the latter stages."

While confident in his abilities to get his hand raised, it'll be far from an easy assignment even for someone of his caliber come fight night.

Zakirov has been unstoppable throughout his career, and he's taken that healthy form into the Circle with six dominant wins over world-class opponents such as Tatsumitsu Wada, Ryosuke Honda, Eko Roni Saputra, and Bokang Masunyane.

The Khaturaev Team fighter isn't going to hold anything back against Hu Yong to ensure he improves his slate to 16-0 and move as a clear favorite to challenge for 26 pounds of gold down the road.

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Sanzhar Zakirov aims to spoil Hu Yong's hopes for a KO

Hu Yong may have his eyes locked on a highlight-reel finish, but Sanzhar Zakirov thinks his upcoming opponent doesn't possess the necessary tools needed to overcome him.

In a separate interview, Zakirov told ONE:

"[He has] weak fight IQ, and has nothing new for a long time. I think it won't be difficult to outplay him. I am sure that I am on another level of wrestling. I think it will end early, most likely by TKO."

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 36: Prajanchai vs. Di Bella II live in U.S. primetime on Friday, Oct. 3.