It has been a long road, but Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov is finally near the end of his journey back to the top. 

The former ONE Flyweight World Champion claimed his sixth straight victory at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5, by outclassing #4-ranked contender Reece McLaren over three rounds of action. 

The win cemented his position as the #2-ranked fighter in the stacked division, behind only Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes and reigning World Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. 

Moraes went down to a unanimous decision loss in his trilogy matchup with “Mighty Mouse” in the main event of the historic ONE Fight Night 10 card – the promotion’s first-ever show on U.S. soil – so Akhmetov now has the inside track for the next shot at the World Title, thanks to his impressive string of wins. 

And to have that chance against a legend like Johnson would only make the challenge even sweeter for him. 

“I Can’t Just Sit Still” – Kairat Akhmetov Eyes To Solidify His Position As the Next Flyweight World Title Challenger

“I’ve been waiting to fight for the title again for a long time, and I really wanted to face ‘Mighty Mouse’ in the cage, and now the stars are aligned,” the 35-year-old told ONE Championship. “Everything’s going according to plan. If this fight happens, both of my dreams will come true – I’ll kill two birds with one stone.”

Kairat Akhmetov just wants to send out a message

Johnson hinted at retirement before and after his World Title defense, but he also left the door open for another match. And that possibility moved closer to reality when Akhmetov took the opportunity to step inside the Circle to face off with the American MMA icon after his bout. 

“I didn’t want to disrespect Demetrious,” he said. “I came into the cage, congratulated him, told him he was a legend, and that I didn’t want to take away his moment of glory. I stood there to show everyone that I was the real next challenger.”

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“The Kazakh” announced his arrival in the Singapore-based promotion by taking the ONE Flyweight World Championship from Moraes in 2015. He then went down to the Brazilian superstar in his first defense of the coveted strap two years later.

Akhmetov stayed active from there, however, and he went 1-1 in his series with Filipino standout Geje Eustaquio, which included a failed challenge for the interim World Title in 2018. 

Kairat Akhmetov Says a Super-fight Against Demetrious Johnson or Title Shot Next

Since then, he has worked his way back into contention by defeating every opponent put in front of him. Now on the verge of competing for the flyweight belt again, the Almaty native has been reflecting on his journey, and he believes his goal of reaching the top is closer than ever. 

“When I look back, I see a long road I had to walk to reach the top again – something I couldn’t have even imagined for years,” Akhmetov said. “Now it’s real. It’s not a dream. I am already halfway there, and I am only one step away from writing a new chapter in my history, that will tell the whole world who the Kazakhs are. I am ready.”