Akbar Abdullaev vs. Tang Kai: Why the MMA world needs an immediate rematch 

By BJPENN.COM Staff - January 13, 2025

Fifth-ranked ONE featherweight MMA star Akbar Abdullaev is a king without a crown, a ruler with no throne.   

Akbar Abdullaev Tang Kai ONE Fight Night 27

The undefeated phenom dominated reigning ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai at ONE Fight Night 27 this past Friday, January 10. Abdullaev took the Chinese star to hell and back before securing a fifth-round TKO inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. 

Under any other circumstances, “Bakal” would be sitting atop the featherweight mountain right now. But he missed weight in the lead-up, which resulted in a 156.75-pound catchweight non-title bout. 

After three consecutive stoppages in ONE – with two of those coming inside 45 seconds – Abdullaev was primed for gold. The opportunity was there for him to seize. And with his fighting style being as relentless as his hunger, he won’t be happy until he has the strap around his waist.  

That’s why the only remedy for the situation is an immediate rematch with Tang for the ultimate prize in the featherweight division.  

Meanwhile, it’ll also give Tang an opportunity to recover and return to the drawing board. Nobody has managed to touch the champ as frequently as Abdullaev did. So he’ll also be eager to set the record straight and show why he is the king in the inevitable sequel.

Akbar Abdullaev seeking immediate rematch with Tang Kai for World Champion status

Akbar Abdullaev’s performance at ONE Fight Night 27 was fitting of a World Champion. Despite his glistening victory, the grand prize of the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title isn’t draped over his shoulder.  

Abdullaev certainly showed he’s the best featherweight in the world. So he wants to meet Tang in the middle of the ring one more time to settle the matter once and for all.  

“My goal was to prove that I am the best, and of course, winning the title or taking home the belt would be great, but that’s not my goal,” Abdullaev said after the fight. 

“My goal is to prove that I’m the best fighter, and that’s what I did today. So next time, I will do the same thing and hopefully also take the belt.” 

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


Topics:

ONE Championship