‘The Best Foreign Opponent I’ve Ever Faced’ – Nakrob Braces For War With Tagir Khalilov At ONE Friday Fights 67

Thai rising star Nakrob Fairtex expects nothing less than a war in his main event clash at ONE Friday Fights 67 this Friday, June 14.
 
The 25-year-old will square off with “Samingpri” Tagir Khalilov in a flyweight Muay Thai battle at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and he expects a very difficult assignment against the hard-hitting Russian. 

Despite posting an incredible 7-1 record in ONE Championship so far, Nakrob hasn’t allowed himself to become overconfident, instead giving Khalilov plenty of respect.
 
The Fairtex athlete said:

“Tagir is the best foreign opponent I’ve ever faced in my career. For this fight, I will be satisfied just by winning. I’m not aiming for the finish or KO.  
 
“I watched his last fight where he fought Yodlekpet Or Atchariya. It made me worry because, in my opinion, Yodlekpet is better than me as a fighter. He has fought against many elite opponents and has much more experience than me. But he got dominated by Tagir. By easily defeating Yodlekpet like that, it made me realize that Tagir is extremely talented. 
 
“He has quick footwork and he can attack fast. I can’t find any weakness in him. He’s a really tough opponent.” 

Although he can’t identify any obvious gaps in Khalilov’s armor, Nakrob does see a potential route to victory this Friday.
 
The Russian’s losses in ONE have come against the best of the best – including reigning World Champions Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Rodtang Jitmuangnon – who moved forward and applied pressure.

That strategy is not without its risks, but Nakrob knows he must remove some of Khalilov’s best attributes by doubling down on his aggression:

“To beat him, you have to walk toward him and fight aggressively, pushing him into a corner, just like Superlek did. It’s easy to say, but to actually achieve something like that is very difficult. 
 
“I’m definitely no match for him in terms of speed. So in this fight, I plan to be aggressive, relying on my endurance, walking forward, and grinding into battle. Of course, if I can’t chase him down because of his speed, the chance of losing this match is very high. But if I can catch up to him, I promise a war. 
 
“I have prepared all my powerful weapons for him. I need to use everything I have in this fight if I want to be a winner.” 

Nakrob Hopes Another Victory Will Lead To Six-Figure Contract

Nakrob Fairtex has only experienced one defeat in his eight-match ONE Friday Fights tenure, losing to two-division WBC Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane last September. 
 
However, his response to that setback has been impressive.  
 
Instead of feeling sorry for himself, the surging Thai striker looked at his faults and worked to make them better – an attitude that has fueled three straight wins.

Nakrob said:

“After losing to Nabil, I did not feel discouraged or sad at all. I just came back to work hard and focused on doing my duty until I bounced back immediately. As for my last three performances, I feel very satisfied that I fought fiercely to receive bonuses in all three fights. 
 
“But even though I have a three-fight winning streak, I still have flaws in my game. I still need to improve my defense, which can be a lot better.” 

Nakrob’s humility is what keeps him improving, and he wants to take his skills to the next level by earning a six-figure contract to compete on ONE’s global roster.  
 
With that in mind, the 25-year-old knows that another successful outing would give him a good chance of earning his spot among the sport’s elite.  
 
That’s what the Thai is aiming for, but even if it doesn’t come this time, he’ll keep saying yes to matchups with the toughest names:

“This fight is important. It’s the hardest fight I’ve had at ONE Lumpinee because Tagir has fought on ONE’s global stage before. If I can get past him, I believe there is a chance that I might get ONE contract.
 
“I have come a long way, so my goal for this year is definitely to get a ONE contract, but it’s all up to the boss, Chatri. After this fight, no matter which opponent they send to me or how good they are, I’m ready to fight them all. I promise to do my best every time I fight to get the contract.”