“I Proved Myself for Many Years”: Tayfun Ozcan Aims for a Dominant Spot After His Fight Against Superbon at ONE Fight Night 11

Turkish-Dutch striking sensation Tayfun Ozcan is now just days away from his much-anticipated showdown with one of the planet’s top pound-for-pound kickboxers.

On Friday, June 9, “Turbine” will clash with former ONE World Champion Superbon Singha Mawynn in a high-stakes featherweight kickboxing battle at ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video.

Set to go down in the Mecca of martial arts that is the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and air live in U.S. primetime, that bout will be Ozcan’s chance to prove that he can not only compete with but beat the elite of the elite.

After tearing through Europe’s talent-rich competitive scene, the 31-year-old has struggled against the legendary strikers that make up ONE’s featherweight kickboxing division, compiling a 1-2 record.

Tayfun Ozcan wants the top spot now

Currently ranked as the division’s #5 contender, Ozcan says he’s done plenty to earn himself a fight against the former titleholder in Superbon:

“It doesn’t feel like an opportunity, to be honest. It feels like this is the spot I deserve. I belong there. I proved myself for many years, with many fights, that I belong there at the top.”

In his last outing, the Thai superstar suffered a crushing World Title defeat against Chingiz Allazov.

Read more: “He Made Me a Different Person” – Tayfun Ozcan Credits Coach for His Achievements After Having a Troubled Childhood

Despite that loss, “Turbine” doesn’t think Superbon has lost a step and is still just as dangerous as when he was ruling the most stacked weight class in all of combat sports:

​​“I know, of course, it’s still Superbon and people say, ‘Yeah, but he got knocked out.’ But it’s still Superbon. Anything can happen in a fight, and you can get knocked out against any person. It doesn’t make him more or less of an opponent. He’s still Superbon, and I take him very seriously.”

According to Ozcan, the key to victory on Friday night will be bringing the fight to the elusive Superbon and creating a toe-to-toe brawl from the opening seconds:

Read more: “I Think He Will Bring the War to Me” – Regian Eersel Won’t Be Satisfied With Anything Except a Victory at ONE Fight Night 11

“You need to take the fight to him. [It’s] the only choice you have. But in a smart way, because he’s so smart and technical. If you let him play his game, well, I wouldn’t even consider coming to Bangkok because I know I [would] lose. So, the only thing I can do now is take the fight to him, and let’s take the fight to every Thai fighter because they are perfect at avoiding the fight.”