“I Hope to Return Where I Belong” – Elias Mahmoudi Eyeing a Dominant Victory Over Edgar Tabares to Mark His Return to the Game

Elias Mahmoudi is ready to resume his quest for ONE Championship gold now that he is back to peak conditioning. “The Sniper” makes his return to action at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Friday, August 4, where he’ll take on fellow former ONE World Title challenger Edgar Tabares in a flyweight Muay Thai bout inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The French-Algerian striker was slated to compete against Walter Goncalves in early 2022, but struggles with COVID-19 forced him to drop out of the bout. The sudden halt to competition was hard for Mahmoudi to handle, given his active nature.

Elias Mahmoudi overcame major hurdles to make his return

“After going through a very difficult training camp and a lot of sacrifices, we flew to Singapore,” he told ONE Championship. “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.”

The 25-year-old striker was back in training soon after, however, hoping to get back to action as soon as possible. But the fight game is fickle, and a frustrating injury set his grand return back further. But now that his health concerns are behind him, the #5-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender is seeking to improve his position in the stacked division in his upcoming fight. 

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“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,” Mahmoudi said. Standing in his way towards that goal will be Tabares, a WBC Muay Thai International Champion, who made his promotional debut against reigning king Rodtang Jitmuangnon earlier this year.

Elias Mahmoudi will look to make his return with a victory

The Mexican sensation suffered a knockout loss to “The Iron Man” at ONE Fight Night 10 in May, so he will certainly be motivated to prove that he belongs among the elite strikers in ONE. After more than two years out of the game, Mahmoudi is also hungry to show his worth and get back in the winner’s column. 

The 25-year-old came up short in his last outing against Mongkolpetch Petchyindee in June 2021, so fans can bet that he’ll come out all guns blazing against Tabares on August 4.

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Their match, and the rest of ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian, will be broadcast live and free on Prime Video for fans across North America with an Amazon subscription.