'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Following his victory at ONE on Prime Video 2, Russia's Ilya Freymanov felt he earned the right to take Martin Nguyen's No. 3 spot in ONE's featherweight rankings—and that's exactly what he did.
The rising contender delivered a lights-out performance at ONE on Prime Video 2, halting the former two-division champion in the very first round. Afterwards, Freymanov was firm in his belief that he deserved the rank his opponent had.
He told reporters:
"I do not know about the ranking. We’ll let people and the organization decide. If it were down to me, I would do it like this: if you win against a man with a higher ranking, you take it all. If not, you give him everything."
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
As far as what's next for the featherweight newcomer, if it were up to him, he'd face one of the two men currently ranked ahead of him:
"Martin was number three, so now it would be logical to fight the second-ranked guy – Kim Jae Woong – and then either be given a title shot or face Thanh Le. Why wait?"
Incredibly, Freymanov finds himself ranked No. 3 at featherweight after just one fight in the organization. The Kuznya Fight Club affiliate attained his spot on ONE's roster after running through Russia's professional MMA scene.
Ilya Freymanov is calling for a top-contender fight
If Freymanov were to take on one of the men ranked ahead of him, it'd have to either be Kim Jae Woong or Thanh Le. Beating either of those top-ranked featherweights would undoubtedly earn him a title fight against Tang Kai.
It's uncommon to witness a possible rise to the top as rapid as Ilya Freymanov's. In just three ONE Championship contests, he could have a belt around his waist.
His Muay Thai and kickboxing background, in addition to his high finish rate, makes him one of the most entertaining athletes to watch.
With that said, make sure to be on the lookout for news regarding Freymanov's next scheduled fight. It's sure to be a title-eliminator in the ONE Championship featherweight division.
Check out Ilya Freymanov's full finish over Martin Nguyen below:
