Akbar Abdullaev Stays Perfect With Domination Of Tang Kai In Main Event Of ONE Fight Night 27

Undefeated Kyrgyz sensation Akbar “Bakal” Abdullaev brought out his entire arsenal and became the first man to beat ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai on the ONE Championship stage.

The #5-ranked contender was dominant from the get-go, as he earned a fifth-round TKO in their 156.75-pound catchweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 27: Tang vs. Abdullaev on Prime Video, which aired in U.S. primetime on January 10 from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Abdullaev showcased his dangerous striking in the first round, with his jab and body shots softening up Tang in the opening five minutes. But the second round is when Abdullaev would create separation for good.

The 27-year-old repeatedly found success by setting up his takedowns with a flurry of punches before controlling Tang from the top position and landing vicious ground-and-pound.

It was a winning formula for the Tiger Muay Thai and Al Munar Team representative, with his aggressive striking throwing Tang off his game, allowing Abdullaev to change levels seamlessly and dominate the grappling exchanges with punches and elbows.

That persistent approach finally paid off in the final round.

With “Bakal” landing a bevy of punches and elbows from the guard position, referee Herb Dean put an end to things at the 1:21 mark of the fifth frame and awarded the TKO win.

Despite his brilliant performance, Abdullaev won’t be heading home with the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title after missing weight for the fight. However, he improved to 12-0 with 12 finishes in his MMA career and proved to be the most dangerous contender in the division.

Fans can also check out bout recaps from the ONE Fight Night 27 supporting card here.