Kairat Akhmetov wants to reclaim title at all costs

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov’s mission is clear - become the ONE Flyweight World Champion again.

Akhmetov lost his world title when he was handed the first defeat of his career, dethroned by a virtuoso performance by Brazil’s Adriano Moraes at ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS in August last year. It was the second bout between the two, with Akhmetov running out the victor in the first meeting.

Most pundits believed a rubber match between the pair was a certainty, but it appears Moraes is not ready, meaning a trilogy bout will have to wait, for now.

ONE Championship officials moved quickly to plug the gap, booking Akhmetov (24-1) in a different rematch, against Filipino favourite Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio (9-6) with the ONE Interim Flyweight Title on the line.

It’s the main event of ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES on 26 January in Manila, and it offers Akhmetov the opportunity to stamp his authority on the flyweight division and capture championship gold once again.

“I was surprised,” said the 30-year-old. “

“Of course, I would prefer not to compete against Geje in his hometown. I felt an advantage when I was competing at home before. But it does not intimidate me.

“I am ready for everyone that will cheer against me. I am coming with the mentality that it will be me versus the world, and I am ready for it.”

The bout will see Akhmetov and Eustaquio go toe to toe for the second time in successive bouts, with the pair having met as recently as September last year. Akhmetov had his hand raised at the end of the contest, but it was judged a split decision, highlighting Eustaquio’s competitiveness in that contest.

Akhmetov had only recently lost his title to Moraes six weeks before that bout, and said the short turnaround made it a particularly tough test for him.

“It was hard to prepare for Geje back then, because it was on shorter notice that I was used to, and I had some little injuries coming off the title match,” he admitted.  

“But during the match, it did not affect me, and I did not feel any cage rust like I did against Adriano. That time, it was hard, both physically and mentally.”

The pair went back and forth over the full three-round duration, but while the judges were split on the verdict, Akhmetov had no concerns over the result.

“I do not think it was controversial,” said the former champion.

“I thought I dominated the match, and it was not close at all.”

This time around, Akhmetov is determined to erase all doubt and deliver a dominant display. He’s recently moved to Thailand to be close to his training base at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, and he’s ready to put on a show and stake his claim as the top flyweight in the world.

“He did not showcase everything he can do in our last match. Neither have I,” he stated.

“In 2017, I had ups and downs. I do not want to look back. In 2018, I am looking forward to reaching my dream to battle Adriano Moraes in my hometown. But of course, I have to beat Geje first to fulfil my dream.”