Undefeated sensation Akbar Abdullaev delivered one other show-stealing efficiency at ONE Struggle Night time 27 on Friday.
After scoring a trio of highlight-reel knockouts in his first three promotional appearances, Abdullaev was handed the chance to face reigning ONE featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai within the promotion’s first fundamental occasion of 2025. For sure, Abdullaev’s efficiency didn’t disappoint.
For practically 5 full rounds, Abdullaev completely dominated Tang Kai like no different fighter ever has. Taking the Chinese language star down at will, ‘Bakal’ sapped Tang’s power and stifled his offense at each flip.
After 4 brutal rounds of motion, referee Herb Dean had lastly seen sufficient within the fifth after Abdullaev shortly took Tang all the way down to the mat and peppered him with a bevy of brutal elbow strikes and quick photographs.
81 seconds into the spherical and that was all she wrote.
Official End result: Akbar Abdullaev def. Tang Kai by way of TKO (ground-and-pound) at 1:21 of Spherical 5.
Whereas Abdullaev saved his ‘O’ intact, he left the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand with no world title and ineligible to financial institution a $50,000 efficiency bonus from ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong as a result of weight miss.
Take a look at highlights from Tang Kai vs. Akbar Abdullaev at ONE Struggle Night time 27: