ONE Championship: “I want to be a champion for him” - Tagir Khalilov more inspired to achieve greatness after the birth of his son

32-year-old Azerbaijani-Russian Muay Thai veteran 'Samingpri' Tagir Khalilov was fighting for something greater than himself last weekend, as he was able to snap a recent two-fight skid and return to the winner's column in the world's largest martial arts organization.

Khalilov turned in an electrifying performance, defeating China's Liao Shixu at ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video last Saturday via hard-fought three-round unanimous decision on the judges' scorecards.

Speaking to veteran MMA reporter Nick Atkin of Bangkok Post after the fight, Khalilov revealed that he had his son on his mind heading into this latest fight.

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The Azerbaijani-Russian said:

"Yes, I’m very happy because I have a new baby born. My son, Malik. He was born one year ago. And I told him, I will bring a win for you. But two times I lost. And this fight, it was more important for me because I want to be a champion for him, Number one."

ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video went down live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, June 7. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Who's next for Tagir Khalilov? Azerbaijani-Russian says anyone can get it

A man who has been in the ring with the likes of Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Superlek Kiatmoo9, and Kongthoranee Sor Sommai, Tagir Khalilov welcomes any and all challengers following his latest victory at ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video last weekend.

The 32-year-old says he is willing to face anyone in the ring.

He told Nick Atkin that he's after the gold:

"I have no worries. I don’t care. Why not? I don’t care who’s next. I just want to fight, climb up, and, of course, like everyone here, I want to be the champion."

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Tagir Khalilov's next fight.

About the author

Dan is an MMA writer with 10+ years of overall experience. Before his ongoing tenure at Sportskeeda, Dan got the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport by contributing to ONE Championship and Fight Game Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Dan’s connection to MMA started during the early days of the UFC and ONE Championship. He previously practiced boxing and ranks Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Fedor Emelianenko as the top five MMA fighters of all time.

He has covered several events onsite and on the ground for ONE Championship and hopes to continue doing so. He ensures that he churns out accurate articles by citing only legitimate sources and getting firsthand accounts through exclusive interviews whenever required.

Dan feels MMA fighter pay seems like an issue because it often gets compared to what fighters earn in boxing but that MMA will eventually catch up in the future.

His other interests include soccer and video games.

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Edited by C. Naik