Abdulla Dayakaev ONE Fight Night 31: WATCH: Russian bruiser Abdulla Dayakaev goes full video game mode with nasty axe kick in Bangkok showcase

Abdulla Dayakaev started his journey in ONE Championship's main roster on the right foot following a stellar showing against hardy veteran Saemapetch Fairtex at ONE Fight Night 31 last Friday, May 2.

The standout strikers carefully measured each other to start their bout, attempting to gauge how the other would respond. To many onlookers' surprise, Dayakaev took control of the fight from Saemapetch and began unloading on the Thai hero.

Barely a minute into the opening round, the Russian star had already settled into a groove and had backed up Saemapetch against the ropes. Dayakaev then threw an axe kick that surprised the Fairtex Training Center affiliate.

Watch the sequence below, which ONE posted on Instagram:

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

This moment of brilliance allowed Dayakaev to have some breathing room and started throwing big blows that rattled Saemapaetch. However, the latter responded by dropping the Team Mehdi Zatout athlete 30 seconds into the second round.

The 23-year-old immediately got to his feet and turned Saemapetch's aggression into his downfall, knocking him down to the canvas with a two-punch combination. After Saemapetch returned to his feet, Dayakaev rushed him to force the stoppage.

Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch ONE Fight Night 31 on demand.

Abdulla Dayakaev aiming to enter bantamweight rankings

Abdulla Dayakaev knows he is currently trending upwards, and it does not matter to him who he needs to defeat if it means breaking into the top five of the 145-pound Muay Thai division as soon as possible.

He told combat sports journalist Nick Atkin in the post-fight interview:

"No, for me doesn't matter which fight. I think now I want I can be in the top five. I want to fight with Rambolek and Felipe Lobo. I want to be champion of this division."

Watch the entire interview below:

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Harvey Leonard