"I deserve either a title fight or a super-fight" - Kairat Akhmetov expected next opponent to be Demetrious Johnson or Adriano Moraes

Kairat Akhmetov is set to battle Tatsumitsu Wada at ONE 158, but he was hoping to compete in a big fight involving either Demetrious Johnson or Adriano Moraes.

The former ONE flyweight world champion has been on a four-bout win streak over the past four years, with his latest conquest being Danny Kingad back in December 2021.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he revealed how important it was for him to win that bout.

Kairat Akhmetov said:

“At that time, he was the second in the rankings and I was number four. I needed that win like air. I knew that the win would have gotten me one step closer to a title fight.”

The win earned ‘The Kazakh’ to the No.2-ranking in the division, behind only the top-ranked Johnson and the division king Moraes. As such, he felt that he was on track to challenge either man for their place in the division.

“I expected to [fight] at least Demetrious Johnson or Moraes after Kingad. After all, I am an ex-champion of the division, so I deserve either a title fight or a super-fight with the ‘Mighty Mouse'.”

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Kairat Akhmetov has a tough challenge ahead of him in Tatsumitsu Wada

Though Kairat Akhmetov didn’t get the matchup he was hoping for, Tatsumitsu Wada is undoubtedly one of the most vicious fighters in the division.

The Japanese fighter is a veteran of the circle who was tasked with welcoming Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship back in 2019. Akhmetov thinks that Wada is better than his record, as he may have just faced some tough luck along the way.

Kairat Akhmetov also offered a rating for his upcoming opponent:

“Can’t tell you with 100 percent certainty, but probably he is an 8. He had many famous and high-rated opponents. The luck was not always on his side, but let’s see how he shows up this time when he meets me.”

Akhmetov has had some tough luck in his career as well, dealing with multiple injuries that have kept him in limited action over the past few years. As such, he is not taking Wada lightly.

“If ONE has matched us up against each other, it means we are at the same level,” he said. “Maybe he is not in ONE’s Top 5 now, but I consider him to be a very strong opponent.”