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Amir Ali Al-Akbari wants nothing more than a shot at Anatoly Malykhin and the world heavyweight title, but he wouldn’t mind fighting the man who once held that prestigious belt.
The Iranian brawler comes off with a first round win over Dustin Joynson last weekend at ONE Fight Night 12 in Bangkok. After forcing Joynson to tap due to blows, Aliakbari set his sights on top of the heavyweight division.
In an interview with South China Morning PostAli Al-Akbari said his priority is to challenge Malekhin for the heavyweight throne. However, he is not ruling out a possible showdown against Arjan Bahular.
Aliakbari said:
“(Arjan Bhullar) doesn’t want to show his real presence there. So I’ll wait for him and see what he does. That’s it.”
Bhullar, just like Aliakbari, is a formidable wrestler and has used his wrestling heavy attack to post an impressive 11-2 professional record.
Singh also became the world heavyweight champion when he dethroned longtime heavyweight king Brandon Vera at ONE: Dangal in May 2021.
Even though Bhullar lost his world title unification bout to Malykhin, he remains a trusted name in the tough heavyweight division.
However, this match will still depend on several factors. Malykhin has expressed his desire to face Aliakbari for a second time, but he is also vocal about his desire to become the first three-division world champion in MMA history.
If Malykhin, who holds both the ONE lightweight and heavyweight titles, is pursuing his dream of a middleweight gold, then it is plausible that Aliakbari could take on Bhullar in his next round.
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