ONE Championship newcomer Ilya Freymanov envisioned Martin Nguyenβs finish before it even happened.
The Russian standout burst into the scene with an impressive TKO finish of former featherweight and lightweight world champion Martin βThe Situ-Asianβ Nguyen on US primetime this past weekend. The performance propelled him to the No.3 contender spot, replacing Nguyen in a blink of an eye, just as he predicted.
During the post-fight interview, he told ONE Championship:
βBack to the matter of my debut, everything happened as I had predicted, down to the first blow I landed, which started the end of this altercation. I [landed] a knee and followed up with a straight right.β
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
On September 30, Ilya Freymanov put his skills on full display. The confident fighter arrived at ONE Championship with a professional record of 10-1 and an 80% knockout rate. He scored his fourth consecutive victory by defeating βThe Sitsu-Asianβ, who was making his way back to a world title opportunity after finishing Kiril Gorobets at ONE: Lights Out back in March.
Anticipating the Australian-American fighter to lean low to throw a hook or feint a takedown, Ilya Freymanov never doubted that Nguyen would eventually feel his wrath.
He concluded the interview by saying:
βDuring my fight camp at Tiger Muay Thai, I kept saying that I might get him with this knee β he leans forward a lot in his overhand. I thought, βWell, depending on how hard he hits, I might be able to block his overhand.β Once that happened and I got the hang of it, I concluded that there was no danger.
Ilya Freymanov joined ONE Championship with a sole purpose
Now that Ilya Freymanov has safely secured his position in the top five rankings, he canβt help but put his fellow contenders on notice as he promises to take home the gold.
In the same interview with ONE Championship, Freymanov said:
βEventually, I will take this title, and then we will see. Maybe I will go for more weight classes or other disciplines. Iβm very hungry and want to stay this way for as long as I am alive. These rivalries, battles, and this way of life makes me happy.β
The next logical match for Freymanov would be a superfight between American-Vietnamese veteran Thanh Le for the No.1 spot or South Korean standout Kim Jae Woon, who sits above him at No.2 in the rankings. Until then, Freymanov will be happy to wait.