ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong says Brandon Vera and Amir Aliakbari both have "one-punch KO power"

Heavy-hitters Brandon Vera (L) and Amir Aliakbari (R) are set for a collision course at ONE 164. | Photo by ONE Championship
Heavy-hitters Brandon Vera (L) and Amir Aliakbari (R) are set for a collision course at ONE 164 | Photo by ONE Championship

ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong strongly believes the judges won’t be needed for the upcoming heavyweight clash between Brandon Vera and Amir Aliakbari.

The two hulking titans will collide in the main card of ONE 164 on December 3, inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. Billed as “Philippines vs. the World”, the entire card is filled with some of the best Filipino mixed martial artists on the planet.

In an appearance on CNN’s Sports Desk, the ecstatic ONE executive bared why Vera’s return match is a must-watch. After all, pitting two heavy-handed individuals with a lust for violence is always a recipe for an exciting fight.

Sityodtong said:

“So it's one of those fights but again, Brandon has a huge task in front of him. I'm telling you that Amir Aliakbari has KO power in both hands. One-punch KO power. Brandon Vera has one-punch KO power.”

Brandon Vera, who will be backed by a massive Filipino crowd, needs no introduction since he’s been separating foes from their consciousness for quite some time now. After a spectacular career in North America, ‘The Truth’ won his first four matches inside the circle by way of scary first-round knockouts. The now 45-year-old fighter was also the inaugural ONE heavyweight world champion.

Standing in his way, though, is a monster of a man who rarely reaches the judges’ scorecards himself. After a rough outing in his first two matches in ONE, Aliakbari bounced back big time by demolishing former world title challenger Mauro Cerilli at ONE on Prime Video 1 this past August.

The Iranian, whose 8 of 11 career wins have come by knockout, bloodied Cerilli with brutal elbows on the ground for a second-round finish. For sure, both fighters will be strong contenders for the $50,000 performance bonus by the end of the night.


Chatri Sityodtong says Brandon Vera should be wary of Amir Aliakbari’s wrestling

Apart from his intimidating size, what makes Aliakbari a frightening opponent is the fact that he knows how to utilize that mass to his full advantage. The Greco-Roman wrestling standout loves to smother his foes with his sheer girth and make them carry his crushing weight. After drowning them in deep waters, the AAA Team representative pounds his opponents into oblivion with hammers he calls fists.

Chatri Sityodtong, for one, thinks the Iranian’s aggressive style should fare well against Brandon Vera, who usually headhunts on the feet early and often. The ONE head honcho said in the same interview:

“Amir Aliakbari comes to bang. He's obviously a world championship wrestler, having won the world championship in wrestling, but he's also a dangerous KO striker, a heavyweight KO fighter. This is something every Filipino is going to love.”

Watch the full interview below:

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Edited by Allan Mathew