"I’m sure that if I hurt him, I’m going to go to finish it" - Rade Opacic aims to knock Guto Inocente out at ONE 158

Rade Opacic’s run in ONE Championship couldn’t have gone any better so far. The young Serbian is 4-0 in the promotion and is seeking a fifth straight win against the dangerous Guto Inocente.

The two big men will feature in a heavyweight kickboxing match at ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen, set to be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, June 3.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Opacic said he’s aiming to knock Inocente out, believing that a finish will be the best course for him to take.

The 24-year-old has stopped every single one of his opponents in ONE Championship to date, and he plans to add Inocente to that list.

Rade Opacic said:

“It would be best to beat him by KO, and I’m sure that if I hurt him, I’m going to go to finish it. But I’m going to be in the best shape for this fight. If I knock him out, perfect. If we go three rounds, perfect also.”

He added that he’s already observed holes in Inocente’s game inside the circle and plans to use those weaknesses against the 35-year-old Brazilian.

“[Inocente] has his own fighting style, he’s strong, and in kickboxing, no one has finished him. He’s durable, he can take a shot, and he has good cardio. But he has also some things that I see and that I can use against him. He has his hands down, he moves a lot, so he can throw some unpredictable things, those spinning kicks and everything. I will be ready for that.”

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Rade Opacic knew he’d fight Inocente eventually

Rade Opacic said he’s always envisioned a match against Inocente the moment he signed with ONE Championship. He pointed out that it was an inevitability that they would one day square off inside the circle.

Opacic said:

“When I signed with ONE, I looked at all the new heavyweights signed with them, so he was in my sights way before [now]. I was just getting ready for everybody, not really thinking about the opponent, but I knew that Guto was there and that one day I’d fight him, so he’s not a stranger to me.”

Opacic added that a win over Inocente will be a hallmark of his career, especially since it would be inside the prestigious circle.

“I fought many big names, but Guto is going to be the biggest name on my list and a big thing for me. He fought in many organizations and nobody could stop him. So it’s going to be good. It’s a big opportunity for me, and I’m going to do everything to beat him.”

We'll see if Opacic can add the name of Inocente to his resume at ONE 158 next Friday.