ONE Championship

A split decision was never going to be the last word between these two.

Abdulla Dayakaev runs it back with “The Kicking Machine” Superlek in a bantamweight Muay Thai rematch at The Inner Circle 25, streaming live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, August 7, exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com. Dayakaev walked away with the split-decision win in their first meeting, but a large portion of the fanbase still believes Superlek did enough to earn it.

That lingering debate is not the only thing riding on this fight. Dayakaev’s own Team Mehdi Zatout teammate, Nabil Anane, recently lost the bantamweight Muay Thai World Title to Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon, the same fighter who knocked out Dayakaev in January.

A statement win over Superlek puts Dayakaev back in that title conversation, and the 24-year-old has made clear he intends to leave zero doubt about who the better man is.

“I don’t think about that fight. I know I won it. You cannot win if you do everything for one round. I won two rounds. This time I will do better,” he said.

“I was not prepared for clinching with him [in the third round]. I went into the last round thinking we would fight in the middle, and I was not ready for that. But now I’m ready for everything.”

Abdulla Dayakaev eyes redemption and gold

Six of Dayakaev’s nine ONE Championship victories have come by knockout. It’s a finishing rate that has not slowed down just because the stakes of this rematch are personal. He has said a win here is the kind of result that could push him toward a title opportunity of his own.

Dayakaev has also stated plainly that beating Superlek would settle more than a scoreline, it would settle how this rivalry gets remembered.

“When I win against Superlek, I want to fight Rambolek. [That] guy stopped me one step before [a possible] title shot. So for me it’s good motivation,” he said.

“I hope they give me a title shot in the next fight. I saw how my little brother [Asadula Imangazaliev] won the belt, and this gives me extra motivation. I also want a belt. I will do everything for it.”

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM