Amir Aliakbari wants another shot at newly crowned ONE Heavyweight World Champion Anatoly Malykhin, and he is determined to run through his next challenge in order to get it. At ONE Fight Night 12: Superlek vs. Khalilov on Friday, July 14, the Iranian star is set to face Dustin Joynson in a battle that could have World Title implications. 

The star-studded spectacle goes down live from the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and broadcasts for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Amir Aliakbari’s analysis of his opponent’s game has turned him fearless

Riding on the confidence of back-to-back stoppage wins, Aliakbari is aiming to continue his streak against the Canadian giant. He believes that while his opponent has good qualities as a competitor, there is nothing he should be concerned about overall.

“He is a good fighter. He has a strong chin and stamina, but his weak points are my strong points. I will enter this fight with a full analysis of my opponent’s game, and I have no fear of Dustin,” Aliakbari told ONE Championship.

Joynson made his promotional debut in 2021, where he fell to his first career loss against Kirill Grishenko. He returned with gusto last year, however, and earned a tough split-decision win against Brazil’s Hugo Cunha. He’ll undoubtedly be looking to add to that success by scoring a huge win against Aliakbari. But the AAA Team representative is out to prove that he is ready to claim the top spot in the division – and he says no one can stop him from reaching that goal.

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“The most important thing in my life is martial arts. And more importantly, being successful at it. This fight will be over before we reach a decision, if God wills it,” the Tehran native said. Aliakbari’s last loss came at the hands of Malykhin, so he has a little bit more skin in the game than just a World Title shot.

Amir Aliakbari was eager for a rematch against Anatoly Malykhin post in his backyard

And with ONE Championship looking to make its debut in the Middle East soon, the 35-year-old is hoping that the stars will align for him to compete for the belt in his backyard. “The Middle East is my region. And naturally, I will be happy and pleased to fight in my region where I have supporters,” Aliakbari said.

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“After my big loss to him, Anatoly Malykhin became stronger and prouder of himself. It’s my job now to break his prestige. I would really like to fight him for the World Title in the Middle East. I hope it happens.”