Russian sensation looks poised to make waves in ONE바카라™s shark-infested featherweight MMA division.
On June 6 at , the 28-year-old rising star will make his against his talented compatriot in an intriguing scrap at Bangkok바카라™s Lumpinee Stadium.
With his explosive brand of fighting, elite finishing skills, and immense physical gifts, Akaev has all the makings of a global superstar and perhaps even a future ONE World Champion.
Before he locks horns with Dauev in North American primetime, we dive into five interesting facts about the hard-hitting Dagestani.
#1 Wushu Sanda Background
While Akaev바카라™s native Dagestan is known to produce some of the planet바카라™s most skilled wrestlers and grapplers, he started his martial arts journey in the kick-focused striking art of wushu sanda.
After five years of training in wushu sanda as a young child, Akaev soon branched out to wrestling, followed shortly after by MMA. Today, he possesses a well-rounded style, but his deep background in the striking arts remains the foundation of his game.
#2 Forced To Grow Up Quickly
Akaev바카라™s personal life has been marked by tragedy. Both of his parents died when he was young, as he lost his mother when he was 11 and his father when he was 19.
These crushing personal losses forced the Russian to mature quickly.
Without the safety net of his parents behind him, he became incredibly focused, disciplined, and dedicated at an early age 바카라“ traits that were critical during his climb to the global stage of ONE Championship.
#3 Perfect Professional Record
Akaev is a winner through and through, and he바카라™ll bring an unblemished 10-0 professional record into ONE Fight Night 32.
It바카라™s worth noting that he faced hardly any easy competition during his time on the ultra-tough Russian regional circuit. In fact, he handed three previously undefeated fighters their first defeats, proving that his pristine record was hard-earned against top-flight opposition.
#4 Devastating Head Kicks
No discussion of Akaev바카라™s MMA game would be complete without mention of his highlight-reel head kicks.
He boasts a pair of clean head-kick KOs on his professional record that would be Knockout of the Year candidates in any organization. With that in mind, fans can바카라™t afford to blink whenever Akaev is competing, as he바카라™s plenty capable of finishing the fight at a moment바카라™s notice.
#5 Reality TV Star
Beyond his unbeaten record and entertaining style of fighting, Akaev rose to prominence in Russia thanks to his dominant performances on Hype FC, a Russian reality show that pits rising MMA stars against each other.
In 2024, he won four straight pro-rules MMA bouts in a single month to become a Hype FC Champion, announce himself as one of his country바카라™s most promising fighters, and capture the attention of ONE바카라™s matchmakers.
