“I am better as an MMA fighter” – Ilya Freymanov Make Big Claims Before Clash with Thanh Le at ONE Fight Night 15

The main event of ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video will feature the surging Russian star taking on the former titleholder Thanh Le for the ONE Interim Featherweight MMA World Title.

Set to air this Friday live in U.S. prime time from the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, the much-anticipated matchup pits two of the sport’s most ruthless finishers against each other.

Ilya Freymanov out to prove that he deserves to be a World Champion over Thanh Le

For his part, Freymanov owns 10 stoppages across his 12 career victories–including one first-round knockout and one first-round submission in ONE. When he looks ahead to his World Title clash with Le, he thinks another early finish could be in the cards.

The 27-year-old said: “I think I have a good chance to finish the fight early, thanks to the organization for the opportunity and trust. I can see opportunities for me to build on my attacks that I can use to cause problems and finish the fight early, I believe in my victory and that I am better as an MMA fighter.”

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Freymanov recognizes that Le is a prolific knockout artist in his own right. The former featherweight king boasts a 100 percent finishing rate and had put together five straight knockouts – three in the first round – before he lost his divisional crown to Tang Kai last August. For that reason, the Russian says fans can look forward to an electrifying stand-up battle on Friday night: “We’re strong strikers. We both have a high percentage of early wins, so it will be an interesting fight, entertaining in any case, we’ll see everything in the ring.”

Freymanov familiar with the danger Thanh Le possesses

Freymanov also knows that Le is probably the toughest test – and biggest opportunity – of his fighting career. A victory at ONE Fight Night 15, he says, would not only secure him the interim featherweight MMA crown but also a shot at Tang and his undisputed ONE Featherweight MMA World Title: “Le was a dominant champion, nothing but respect for his career. I’ve wanted to fight him for a long time. It’s a big challenge for me and a win over Le will make me the main challenger for the championship title.”

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Brimming with confidence and now just days away from his shot at gold, Freymanov envisions another fast knockout and another US$50,000 performance bonus in his future. He added: “I think the key factor in this fight will be cardio and timing, as we both know how to throw fast punches. It could be over quickly here. I believe I am the better man. I will be looking to knock out my opponent like I always do and to earn a bonus.”