“I’m Not Afraid” – Danny Kingad Has a Message for Former World Champion Kairat Akhmetov

Danny “The King” Kingad and Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov will finally go to war at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II, which premieres next Friday, 17 December, from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 

The Filipino wushu practitioner only wants to test himself against the division’s top talents. He regards Akhmetov, a former ONE Flyweight World Champion, as a great litmus test before potentially getting another crack at the gold strap next year. 

While his Kazakh opponent is the author of 14 first-round finishes from 24 wins, Kingad is not worried about the #4-ranked contender’s grappling or knockout power. 

“Let’s just say I’m not afraid of him. I know that I have a lot of weapons at my disposal that I can use against him,” the #2-ranked flyweight said. “I know for myself that I have worked hard and trained hard for this.”  

“I’m ready wherever the match goes, it can be in striking, or we can take it to the ground. I know I have a lot of weapons in store for him.” 

Read More: Mustapha Haida vs. Arian Sadikovic and Two Other Super Fights Added to the Lead Card at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II

Danny Kingad on learning new skills

One of Kingad’s primary weapons is his striking mastery, which he has honed for almost a decade under the guidance of legendary coach Mark Sangiao and other world champions at Team Lakay.  

Although he only has one knockout win out of 16 career fights, his striking has been the cornerstone in his 14-2 mixed martial arts record. Kingad knows there’s room for improvement with his finishing rate, and he wants to kickstart it against Akhmetov next Friday. 

“I believe that I have more weapons in my arsenal now. My teammates have also pushed me to develop new skills and showcase new stuff that I didn’t have in my last fight,” the 26-year-old athlete from Sadanga, Mountain Province added. 

“I think it will be an exciting fight. I’ve been waiting for this, and make no mistake about it.” 

Read More: “I’ll Be Looking for a Clean Shot” – Stephen Loman Targets Knockout Against Yusup Saadulaev

‘The King’ on previous cancellations of his bout against Kairat Akhmetov 

The two fighters were on an inevitable collision course, given their dominating performances in the flyweight division. Unfortunately, their bouts had to be called off a couple of times due to a series of mishaps. 

Those postponements did not bother the Team Lakay mainstay because it gave him adequate time to prepare for this contest, and he hopes Akhmetov enters the bout better than ever. 

“I hope this pushes through this time. It’s been years. I’ve been wanting to face him for a long time. Unfortunately, our match got canceled twice,” Kingad said. 

“Now, it’s a different kind of excitement for me. I’m facing someone that I’ve always wanted to face.”

Read More: “She’s Going to Be Entering My World Now” – ONE Women’s Atomweight Champion Angela Lee Welcomes Stamp Fairtex’s Challenge