Amir Aliakbari is enjoying the best run of form of his ONE Championship tenure, and he’s aiming to fight for the heavyweight division’s top prize in his next outing. The Iranian giant took home a crucial win over Dustin Joynson at ONE Fight Night 12 this past weekend, taking out the Canadian star in the opening round of their tussle at the July 14 event.

The victory marked his third straight finish in ONE and officially launched him as a threat to the ONE Heavyweight World Title currently held by Anatoly Malykhin.

Amir Aliakbari wants to keep fulfilling his wishes till achieving the Heavyweight gold

The immense slate Aliakbari is enjoying is a stark departure from the two disappointing losses he suffered at the start of his journey in the promotion, and the 35-year-old star is feeling more confident than ever. “I am returning to the level that I was expecting myself to do,” he said in his post-fight interview at ONE Fight Night 12. “This expectation and everything will help me and lead me to the next victory. I think the next match, I will fight for the belt.” 

Aliakbari’s added Joynson to a list of victims that includes former World Title challenger Mauro Cerilli and former longtime divisional king Brandon Vera, and he knows that this puts him firmly in line to mount a run at the coveted heavyweight crown. As such, he wasted no time calling out Malykhin last Friday night.

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The unbeaten Russian juggernaut was in the crowd to witness his name being dropped, and he quickly jumped into the ring to square off with Aliakbari, leading to a tense standoff. The Iranian star explained what went on with “Sladkiy” in a recent interview, saying that he is determined to avenge his loss to the World Champion while issuing a stern warning to the divisional king.

Amir Aliakbari wanted to punish Anatoly Malykhin

“The significance of this will be completely obvious. You know, I returned to the level that I wanted. For the next match, I will prepare myself, and I know that my preparedness, my fitness, and all my power. Everything will be based on this plan, and I hope that I can win and get the belt finally,” Aliakbari said.

“When I was practicing, I’m focusing on this important fight, so he was just playing around and trying to say words that could destroy my spirit and my attitude, but he was not successful. And I think with the kind of victory that I got today. I think he will be the one who will be defeated next. 

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“When you talk too much about me, you backbite, and you say lots of things about me, I want to tell you that next time I will cut your tongue.”