‘Made History For My People’ – Avazbek Kholmirzaev Details His Crowning Moment At ONE SAMURAI 1

Avazbek “Ninzya” Kholmirzaev has written his name into the history books in the most emphatic fashion imaginable.

The Uzbek finisher stopped former titleholder Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu with a devastating spinning back elbow in the second round to claim the ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship at ONE SAMURAI 1, which aired live on Wednesday, April 29, from the iconic Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

From the opening bell, both men came out with explosive intent, trading fast and furious exchanges as each looked to impose his will and seize absolute control of the contest. The pace was relentless, the action was unforgiving, and the partisan Japanese crowd inside the Ariake Arena was treated to absolute fireworks.

Then, at 4:53 of the second round, Kholmirzaev unleashed a spinning back elbow that landed flush, sending Wakamatsu crashing to the canvas. The referee had seen enough and immediately waved off the fight. The spectacular finish marked Kholmirzaev’s 15th career stoppage and his 10th promotional victory.

“Ninzya” had predicted from the outset that the fight would not survive the full 25 minutes, and the way both men approached the contest proved his point emphatically.

He said:

“We actually predicted before the match that it wouldn’t go the full five rounds because we both prefer a striking style. We were prepared for five, but I was confident it would end sooner.”

What made the finish all the more remarkable was the severe physical toll the opening round had taken on both fighters. The intensity of the first stanza drained energy from both men at a ferocious rate, and Kholmirzaev admits the second round was as much a test of pure will as it was of skill.

He felt his own gas tank emptying but sensed the exact same was happening to Wakamatsu, and backed himself to be the last man standing.

Kholmirzaev said:

“We did lose a massive amount of energy, especially after the first round. By the second, I was thinking that my opponent or I would definitely be knocked out by the third round.”