Kiamran Nabati stacked praise on Nico Carrillo's sensational finish of Nong-O Hama before he throws down with the Thai legend himself at ONE Friday Fights 81 on Sept. 27.
To ensure he's covered all bases heading into his bantamweight Muay Thai fixture against the ex-divisional king inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium, the undefeated Russian striker has rewatched some of Nong-O's fights to jot down any particular flaws he discovers.
While at that, the Archangel Michel fighter tipped his hat to 'King of the North's' ability to finish the fight in the second round despite being on the wrong end of a series of wicked kicks from the striking icon.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Kiamran Nabati shared:
"It was a fantastic fight. I [thought] Nong-O could stop him with his low kicks, but Nico Carrillo punched him, and he hit the last elbow on him. It was a crazy fight."
Watch the interview here:
Nong-O's defeat against Carrillo was his second successive loss inside the Circle after Jonathan Haggerty dethroned him off the bantamweight Muay Thai mountain with a first-round finish.
The 37-year-old, however, has bounced back with a unanimous decision triumph over Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai at ONE Friday Fights 58 this past April.
On Nabati's end, the Russian destroyer heads into this clash on a 21-0 run. Three of his wins came against Pongsiri PK Saenchai, Avatar PK Saenchai, and Suablack Tor Pran49 on ONE Friday Fights.
Kiamran Nabati vows to eliminate Nong-O's strengths at ONE Friday Fights 81
With an eye on extending his perfect streak, Kiamran Nabati knows what he has to do to ensure that: take out Nong-O's merciless kicking game.
At the same time, the 29-year-old believes he should be able to utilize his educated hands and smooth movement to get his hand raised against the Evolve MMA representative.
Speaking to the promotion, he said:
"It's no secret that his legs are his strength. And I'm going to eliminate his strengths. It is also no secret that my strength is my hands, but also my footwork."
ONE Friday Fights 81 will be available via pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.