Maurice Abevi vows to “give everything” for statement performance at ONE 168: Denver 

Maurice Abevi has the opportunity to put the world on notice when he returns to action on September 6.  

In his next outing, the Swiss standout takes on Samat Mamedov in a lightweight MMA bout at ONE 168: Denver. 

Abevi has already made waves in the promotion with some eye-catching performances. But he’s determined to showcase his full potential to an American audience at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 

“It’s exciting, and I feel that by fighting in the U.S. now, it’s a sign that I am appreciated by ONE. I appreciate that from them as well,” he said. 

“They want me to deliver, and I want to deliver. I will give everything to deliver on that date.” 

His journey on the global stage began with a thrilling three-round battle against Halil Amir. There, he came up short but earned respect for his gallant stand. 

Since then, he has bounced back with stellar victories over Blake Cooper and Zhang Lipeng. This has established him as a formidable competitor in the division. 

Despite this success, Abevi feels he is only scratching the surface of his capabilities. 

“I feel like this fight is going to be me showing all my skills. In ONE so far, I could show some of what I’m capable of, but I was never able to put my whole arsenal on display,” he said.  

“I feel like in this fight, I can really throw my whole arsenal and show some new stuff, show some more spinning kicks.” 

Maurice Abevi unfazed by foe’s credentials  

Maurice Abevi acknowledges that his upcoming assignment will be no walk in the park. 

Samat Mamedov enters the contest with a perfect 10-0 slate, with nine of those victories coming via first-round finishes.

Rather than being intimidated by his opponent’s track record, Abevi is confident that he will find a way to put matters in his favor. 

“He’s going to get tired if he’s used to finishing people quickly. I’m going to use my jab, use my footwork, weather the storm in the first, and then take over in the second and third,” the Zurich native said. 

“I’m just going to jab and move. Kick his legs, kick his body, punch to the body, counter him when he swings in the air, and then knock him out with the flying knee in the second round.”