‘Use My Hands And Knees’ – Khakimov Anisjon Plots A Massive Upset Over Kongsuk At ONE Friday Fights 156
Uzbekistan’s next rising Muay Thai prospect is ready to introduce himself to the world, and he has his sights set firmly on following in the footsteps of a fellow countryman who recently made history.
The 19-year-old Khakimov “Warrior” Anisjon makes his highly anticipated ONE Championship debut against battle-tested Thai star Kongsuk Sitsarawatsuer in the bantamweight Muay Thai main event of ONE Friday Fights 156.
The thrilling card goes down on Friday, May 29, broadcasting live in Asia primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Standing at 5-foot-11, the surging talent from Petchsaman Gym carries a stellar 10-2 career record and a formidable frame that already hints at the physical tools to trouble anyone in the bantamweight division. He is highly composed, technically sound, and incredibly comfortable using his length to control distance and dictate the terms of engagement.
However, the story of how he arrived on the global stage begins not in a world-class gym, but with his family.
Speaking to onefc.com, Anisjon traced his martial arts roots:
“My grandfather brought me to a boxing gym when I was 10 years old. That’s when I started training in Muay Thai because my grandfather’s cousin was a Muay Thai trainer.”
Nine years after those initial training sessions, Anisjon finds himself stepping onto the grandest stage of his young career.
For the Uzbek striker, the immense magnitude of competing in ONE for the very first time, and doing so in a marquee main event, is certainly not lost on him. He arrives in Bangkok with a crystal-clear sense of what this golden opportunity represents.
He said:
“I am very happy to be here and to fight in ONE Championship because it is one of the best promotions in the world. I am also very happy to be fighting in the main event. I feel very good.”
Kongsuk is absolutely no easy introduction to the global stage. The 25-year-old Sitsarawatsuer representative boasts an incredible 69 career wins, including two Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Championship runs and a current three-fight promotional winning streak that has him looking sharp, confident, and incredibly dangerous.
He is exactly the kind of gritty, world-class opponent that separates those ready for ONE from those who simply need more time. Anisjon, however, arrives with a highly specific game plan to neutralize the Thai veteran.
The “Warrior” explained:
“I want to use my hands most of the time, along with my knees whenever he comes forward.”
Anisjon Has Done His Homework On The Thai Veteran
Khakimov Anisjon is certainly not walking into this fight blind.
The Uzbek teenager has spent his entire preparation meticulously dissecting Kongsuk’s fight footage, breaking down exactly how the Thai veteran moves, attacks, and carries himself inside the ring. He is not simply preparing to survive a tough debut; he is preparing to make an undeniable statement.
The teenage phenom said:
“I have been watching Kongsuk’s fight videos and studying his fighting style. I’m learning how he fights in the ring and how he carries himself, and I’ve been working on that in training. That’s part of my game plan, and I want to show that I can do something too.”
Beyond the debut, beyond the main event spotlight, and beyond Kongsuk, Anisjon’s eyes are already fixed on a destination that would make history for his homeland.
Fellow Uzbek Avazbek “Ninzya” Kholmirzaev recently claimed the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title at ONE SAMURAI 1, inspiring a nation and dramatically raising the bar for every Uzbek fighter on the global stage. Anisjon desperately wants to follow that exact same path all the way to undisputed gold.
He offered:
“My biggest goal is to win the [ONE Championship] belt and bring it back to Uzbekistan, just like Avazbek [Kholmirzaev] did.”