Kairat Akhmetov feeling back to his best ahead of Danny Kingad showdown at ONE: Winter Warriors II

Bengaluru, December 15: Kairat Akhmetov feels he is back to his best ahead of clash with Danny Kingad in the main event of ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II, premiering this Friday (December 17).

"The Kazakh" Akhmetov, boasting a 27-2 professional mixed martial arts slate, admits he has never felt better after recovering from a long-time back injury that sidelined him for an extended period of time.

The former ONE Flyweight World Champion, currently the #4-ranked contender, wants to show why he should be regarded as the best flyweight in the division.

And his ascent to earn a shot at the gold strap he once held will kick off against the #2-ranked Filipino fighter "The King".

"I'm 100-percent ready with no injuries or anything bothering me. I feel excellent. I'm ready to make a show and perform at my best," the 34-year-old athlete said.

"The fans should expect a very uncompromising fight. It's difficult to say [how it will go], but I know I will feel great joy and pride."

"The Kazakh" understands that Kingad, who fights out of the world-renowned Team Lakay gym, will be a formidable opponent at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Besides, the Philippine National Wushu Champion is on a similar quest to sit on the flyweight throne.

But his recent successes on the global stage makes the martial artist from Almaty believe that things will go his way.

The three-time National Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion scored consecutive victories versus "The Southern Eagle" Ma Hao Bin, Reece "Lightning" McLaren, and "Holy Beast" Dae Hwan Kim.

"At this moment, I'm at the peak of my capabilities," the Arlan MMA Pro Team and Tiger Muay Thai standout said.

"I'm happy. I have three wins in a row, and I am fourth in the rankings. This motivates me to become the champion."

Though an injury and some in-ring setbacks might have slowed him down a little, Akhmetov knows that a couple more victories will push him much closer to the World Title he earned during his ONE debut in November 2015.

As confident as he is, however, the wrestler preferred to remain grounded when asked about his chances of defeating Kingad.

"I can't foresee the outcome of the fight, but I am prepared and ready to go all three rounds. If I can win ahead of time, I will do my best to take this chance," he proclaimed.

Download the ONE Super App to catch all the action from ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II. Fans in India can watch the main card on Disney+ Hotstar or Star Sports Select 1 at 6 PM India Standard Time (IST) on Friday (December 17).

Source: Media Release