After notching the biggest win of his promising career, Kiamran Nabati is ready for the top dogs in the talent-laden bantamweight Muay Thai division.
Before he could get a shot at the division’s new ruler, bantamweight Muay Thai kingpin Superlek Kiatmoo9, the Russian doesn’t mind proving himself once more against another high-caliber opponent.
Speaking to ONE Championship in an exclusive interview, Nabati called out the first and second-ranked fighters in the division, Jonathan Haggerty and Nico Carrillo, respectively.
“I want my next opponent to be someone ranked higher than me in the top five. That would be Jonathan Haggerty or Nico Carrillo.”
Kiamran Nabati’s confidence comes from the heels of his statement unanimous decision win over former bantamweight Muay Thai world titleholder Nong-O Hama at ONE Friday Fights 81 last month.
Despite some resistance from the heavy-handed Thai icon, the 29-year-old extended his incredible undefeated record to 22-0 using his well-rounded striking arsenal.
The Archangel Michael affiliate will likely enter the top 5 after outlasting the currently third-ranked Nong-O.
While nothing is set in stone yet, Carrillo is expected to be the next in line for Superlek Kiatmoo9. Haggerty, on the other hand, has already expressed his desire to defend his remaining bantamweight kickboxing crown.
We’ll soon see if Nabati gets his wish and gets paired up with these hard-hitting Brits.
Kiamran Nabati says his elite movement nullified Nong-O’s power
While Kiamran Nabati was willing to trade fire-with-fire with the aggressive Nong-O, he still followed the game plan to counter the Thai legend’s pressure.
In the same ONE interview, the Russian slugger recalled how he relied on footwork and creating angles to defuse Nong-O’s power shots.
“Throughout the entire fight, I stuck to the strategy we had developed with my coaches. My goal was to move, not let him hit me. I did take some hits, but because I moved a lot, they didn’t land with as much power.”
