Amir Khan ready for first shot at world title
Amir Khan of Singapore appeared calm and ready at the ONE: Conquest Of Champions official kick-off press conference held at the City of Dreams Manila last Tuesday, November 20.
Khan, 24, who trains at Evolve MMA will be vying for a World Title for the first time in his young career.
Scheduled for five rounds, Khan is set to clash with former lightweight titleholder Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines. The winner will be crowned the new ONE Lightweight World Champion.
“I’m so happy to be fighting again in Manila. This is actually the second time. I fought here four years ago. I have all due respect for [Eduard] Folayang, he is a great martial artist. But I am coming for the title,” Khan addressed media at the Press Conference.
Last September, Khan defeated Folayang’s teammate, former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio Banario via first-round submission. The performance earned him a crack at ONE gold, an opportunity he says will not go to waste.
“I’ve worked extremely hard on my game since the beginning of my career, and I am one hundred per cent confident of becoming world champion. Winning that title means everything to me. Me and my coach, we have a solid game plan for this fight. The odds may be stacked against me. I’m fighting the hometown hero, but I won’t let it affect my performance,” Khan said.
Also attending the Press Conference was ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon The Truth Vera, who is set to defend his title for the first time in nearly two years after stepping away from competition to focus on a budding acting career.
Vera starred alongside Filipino star Anne Curtis in the movie BuyBust. Vera portrayed the role of anti-narcotics agent Rico Yatco. He returns to the ONE cage to defend his belt against Cage Warriors heavyweight champion Mauro The Hammer Cerilli in the evening’s main event.
“I owe the Philippines a lot for inspiring me to work harder than I ever have before. Am I ready after spending two years away from the cage? Hell yes. I’ve prepared very hard for this bout. I’ve trained every day, in between traffic, shoots, and everything in the middle.
“I am confident of victory. I’m still hungry and I want it more now. Mauro [Cerilli] is a worthy opponent, he’s been knocking guys out while I was away, and I am in no way underestimating him,” Vera said.
Also announced at the Press Conference was ONE Championship’s new athleisure business, in partnership with Zilingo, as well as an online store that offers official ONE merchandise to fans all across the world.
ONE: Conquest Of Champions goes down Friday, November 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. Catch all the action live and for free on the ONE Super App.
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