Shamil Abdulaev: What you need to know about the ONE Championship fighter

01 October 2022

Shamil Abdulaev is considered as someone who could spring an upset and be the first fighter to beat Reinier De Ridder when the both of them come face to face. 

Hailing from Vladivostok in Russia, this 32-year-old has an incredibly deep amateur MMA experience under his belt. A veteran of the game, Abdulaev has been actively participating for nearly a decade and has suffered only a single defeat in his amateur career as well as a single defeat till now in his Pro career. Both his losses were decision losses.

He has a Pro MMA record of 13-1. With 7 KO/TKO wins, 1 Submission win and 5 decision wins. He is currently on a 3-win streak, with all the 3 of them being TKO victories. As an amateur he is a multiple time Russian and World MMA Champion. The bout against Reinier De Ridder is Abdulaev’s first ever professional World Championship contest.

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An explosive fighter, Abdulaev has a diverse kicking game. He might be a little hesitant to throw his kicks initially during this World Championship bout as it might provide De Ridder who is a BJJ and Judo Black Belt an opening for a takedown. Although there are chances for takedowns, given the speed and power of these kicks, Abdulaev might only need a single clean shot to score a finish.

De Ridder being one of the best grapplers in all of MMA, will be surely looking to take Abdulaev to the mat. Abdulaev’s wrestling skills will surely be put to test when he goes up against the champ, especially in the clinch, where De Ridder tends to score takedowns. In his extensive career, Abdulaev has shown the ability to counter the takedowns by landing in the top position. This experience will help the challenger to put up a great show against the champ.

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Will “The Dutch Knight” be able to keep his slate clean and defend his title successfully and Shamil if the fight happens?