Alaverdi Ramazanov is thrilled for his next chance to wow the audience inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
The Russian returns to action at ONE Friday Fights 68 on Friday, June 28, against Petchtanong Petchfergus in a pivotal bantamweight Muay Thai contest. Even the Russian doesn’t know what will happen once the bell rings.
“Petchtanong is a very serious opponent. I believe this is a really interesting fight, very unpredictable, because we are both fighters who show class and technique in the ring and who fight smart,” Ramazanov remarked to ONE.
Ramazanov and Petchtanong have both held the title in the bantamweight division. Ramazanov knows this meeting of former champions will be the highest of difficulty, especially given Petchtanong’s extensive history in the sport.
“Petchtanong’s strengths are probably his colossal experience. He is a very experienced opponent, very talented, and with a strong fighting IQ,” the Russian said.
“I don’t have a plan for the fight with him. To be honest, I just want to outplay him. I’ll see what his style will be like. With guys like him, you won’t be able to just impose your own game, but it’s interesting to try.”
“I am doing everything possible in the gym to surprise and please the fans with my victory.”
As Jonathan Haggerty sits on the bantamweight throne with a date against Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver, Ramazanov feels this bout has everything needed to elevate the winner to a shot at the gold down the line.
With both men wanting to reclaim their lost prize, the stakes put even more pressure on the athletes to impress.
“Definitely, this is a [top] contender fight. In general, we don’t have many fighters in ONE who have been performing at such a high level for so long, and so definitely, the winner will fight for the World Championship,” Ramazanov mentioned.
The Russian has his eyes set on Haggerty. The allure of the gold captures his attention, but he knows he cannot look too far down the road with Petchtanong right in front of him on June 28.
No matter if it’s Haggerty or someone else, Ramazanov still wants to get back to the top of the bantamweight mountain and secure his spot as the division’s best.
“Of course, Haggerty is a very famous and very technical fighter. Many people know him. He is very famous in England and Thailand. And when you are sure that you can easily beat this guy, then you rightfully start demanding this fight,” Ramazanov said.
“But it doesn’t matter who has the belt when I come for it. I’ll fight whoever has it, whether it’s Haggerty or another opponent.”
ONE Friday Fights 68 airs live on Friday, June 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT.