Elias Mahmoudi Excited To Resume World Title Chase In Long-Awaited Return Against Edgar Tabares
After more than two years out of action, Algerian star Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi is ready to make his highly anticipated return to the elite proving ground that is ONE Championship.
On August 4 at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Prime Video, the #5-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender will square off with Mexican sensation Edgar Tabares in a crucial contest in Bangkok, Thailand.
Airing live in U.S. primetime from the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, that showdown will be Mahmoudi’s opportunity to remind ONE’s global fan base that he’s one of the most talented and exciting strikers on the planet.
The 25-year-old was previously slated to return in early 2022 against Walter Goncalves, but a bout of COVID-19 derailed those plans.
Looking back, Mahmoudi says that canceling the fight was an incredibly tough pill to swallow:
“After going through a very difficult training camp and a lot of sacrifices, we flew to Singapore. When we arrived, we got notified that me and my father were positive for COVID-19, and we spent 14 days locked up in a hotel room. No more fight. Those three months of sacrifices were wasted, so it took me a while to digest.”
Once recovered, Mahmoudi hoped to quickly get back to training, take another fight, and continue his climb toward the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title. Adversity struck again, though, as an injury forced him to the sidelines for the second time.
With all of those difficulties now in the rearview, “The Sniper” is understandably relieved to be competing against former World Title challenger Tabares next month.
He said:
“Unfortunately, once I resumed training I hurt my wrist and had to undergo surgery. Thanks to God, everything has finally returned to normal, and I hope to return where I belong – in the race for the title.”
‘I’m Coming For War’ – Mahmoudi Wants Big Bonus Money On August 4
While Elias Mahmoudi aims to make a statement at ONE Fight Night 13, standing in his way will be all-action scrapper Edgar Tabares.
The Mexican striker was thrown into deep waters in his promotional debut earlier this year, suffering a knockout loss to longtime ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangon.
For his part, “The Sniper” says he’s been well aware of Tabares and his reputation through his unique connection to the Muay Thai community in Mexico:
“I knew Tabares before his fight against Rodtang because there is a Mahmoudi Gym in Mexico, and the #1 ranked fighter in this weight category is my brother-in-arms, Josue “Tuzo” Cruz, who’s the first Mexican fighter to ever compete in ONE Championship.”
Naturally, Mahmoudi is pumped to put on a show in front of a wild crowd in the homeland of Muay Thai.
What’s more, he’s eager to pad his wallet with a massive performance bonus – something that wasn’t available the last time he competed in ONE.
And instead of the typical US$50,000 payout, he’s hoping to outdo the US$100,000 that Rodtang received for his finish of Tabares:
“It is indeed a great pleasure for me to return to the action, and as usual, I’m coming for war. Even more now because there are bonuses that did not exist at the time I was fighting before. And mark my words, if Rodtang won a double bonus against him, I’m coming for the triple bonus!”
