Fighting Words: Stars Of ONE: REVOLUTION Sound Off At Media Day
It’s event week, and the martial arts superstars competing at ONE: REVOLUTION are putting the finishing touches on their preparations.
This Friday, 24 September, those athletes will storm into the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and they had plenty to say before the action gets underway.
Here, we highlight the most notable quotes from our ONE: REVOLUTION Virtual Media Day.
Lee Viewing Ok As ‘Dangerous’ World Title Challenger
ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee has a chance to clean out the division when he defends his belt against #3-ranked contender Ok Rae Yoon.
In the weeks leading up to this main event showdown, the Singaporean-American predicted he would win via first-round submission. But he isn’t banking on that.
At ONE: REVOLUTION Media Day, he gave credit to the challenger and explained why he isn’t underestimating him.
“What makes Ok Rae Yoon so dangerous is the fact that he is a good fighter with a good skill set, and he consistently shows up and brings his A-game every time he steps in there,” Lee said.
“I watched his previous fights. He always brings his A-game, and he’s always ready to throw down. He’s had some tough fights, he had some good wins, but I never really see him go in there with a bad performance.
“I think that Ok Rae Yoon is going to bring his best game, and I think he’s absolutely going to be trying his very best to seize this moment in front of him. If I take any credit away from him, if I look past him one bit, that gives him an opportunity to capitalize on that. So I’m treating Ok Rae Yoon as the best fighter in the world, and it’s my job to take him out.”
Ok Putting The Spotlight On Korean MMA
On Friday, Ok is hoping to prove that he’s truly the best lightweight fighter in the world.
The South Korean can become the sixth man to hold the ONE Lightweight World Title, but he also understands that with great power comes great responsibility. And if he manages to dethrone Lee, Ok hopes the monumental victory would help elevate other mixed martial arts talent in his homeland.
“I believe that in Korea, there are so many great athletes who are World Champion level. Just like nobody knew about me before my Marat Gafurov bout, it’s the same with them. Nobody knows about them yet because they haven’t been given an opportunity yet,” Ok said.
“I believe that there are so many great athletes in Korea and with me winning this bout and taking this belt, I believe that I would help other Korean athletes to be known a bit more. I believe that I can help them by winning and by being a World Champion.”
Saruta Envisions Stoppage Of Pacio
Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta isn’t a fortune teller, but if the Japanese combatant can execute his strategy, he’ll leave the Singapore Indoor Stadium with the belt around his waist.
Saruta, the division’s #1-ranked contender, has learned some valuable lessons from his previous encounters with reigning strawweight king Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, and when he meets the Filipino in their trilogy fight on Friday, he’ll aim to reclaim the gold in emphatic fashion.
“I’ll be very aggressive – more aggressive than the past two bouts,” said “The Ninja.”
“And also, I will try to do things that Joshua will not like, [such as] give him some stress throughout the bout. If I do that, there’s a clear image inside me. So if I do that in the fourth or fifth round, I’ll be able to finish him.”
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- Lee Vs. Ok: 4 Keys To Victory In Lightweight World Title Clash
Nguyen Expects To ‘Pick Apart’ Kim
Former two-division ONE World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen will aim to begin his road back to featherweight gold when he meets #5-ranked “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong.
The Vietnamese-Australian knows Kim poses a serious threat, but he feels confident in his strategy ahead of their ONE Featherweight World Title eliminator.
“He’s a tough opponent. He’s a good opponent. He’s the next guy in line, just another guy that I’ll be fighting. He’s just a pressure fighter. He likes to come forward like a zombie. We’re just going to do our thing,” Nguyen said.
“I’ll keep the movement going and pick him apart as he comes forward, so we’ll see what happens. Fight night could always be different, but I like to go with the flow, see what he throws, and see if he can handle what I throw and go from there.”
Aliakbari Anticipates Big KO
Amir Aliakbari is scheduled to face Anatoly Malykhin in a ONE Heavyweight World Title eliminator, and the Iranian candidly provided his thoughts on the undefeated Russian star.
“Anatoly is a wrestler with an overhand right, and that’s about it,” the Tehran native said.
“I’m going to try to engage with him in grappling, which I welcome, but I believe I’m going to knock him out.”
Malykhin Feels He’s ‘On Another Level’
Malykhin, however, believes the exact opposite will happen.
The friendly Russian juggernaut believes his skills are far superior and that he possesses a stronger chin than Aliakbari, who was knocked out by Korean upstart “Mighty Warrior” Kang Ji Won in March.
“I think I’m on another level,” Malykhin said.
“Firstly, I’ve never been knocked out, and this is a big factor. Secondly, I think mentally, I’m way stronger. And physically, I promise you guys, it’ll be very minimal wrestling. I’ll be way better at striking, so the fight will mostly focus on [stand-up]. The rest you guys will have to see.”
Read more: What’s At Stake For The Main Card Fighters Of ONE: REVOLUTION
