Reece “Lightning” McLaren has been improving at a steady pace over the last four years, and he believes there’s still more room for growth before he steps foot inside the Circle at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III on Prime Video. 

The Australian martial artist runs it back against Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov on the organization’s on-ground debut show in the U.S. at 1st Bank Center on Friday, May 5.

Reece McLaren wanted to showcase his variety to Kairat Akhmetov with a victory this time

McLaren told ONE, “I think it’s unrecognizable [how much I’ve changed]. I think I’ve shown that I’m more diverse. I’m different. Totally different. I don’t want to bag on Akhmetov, but with all respect to him, it’s like, ‘Man, you’re still the same. He’s a little stuck in the mud. I’ll make him look more stuck in the mud this time.”

After piecing together three back-to-back victories at the start of his promotional tenure, the Boonchu Gym product slumped to a defeat to the Kazakhstani at ONE: A NEW ERA in March 2019.

While he did match his rival’s skills on the canvas, the BJJ black belt was no match for Akhmetov’s firepower when the two stood and traded punches on the feet. After three exciting rounds, Akhmetov left the Circle with a deserving unanimous decision win.

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However, with “Lightning” now honing his striking weapons under the tutelage of multiple-time Muay Thai legend John Wayne “The Gunslinger” Parr in Australia,  the #4-ranked flyweight contender believes he has been equipped with enough knowledge and tools to dispatch the former ONE Flyweight World Champion.

Reece McLaren showcased the upgrades in his fight game at ONE 158

He’s already showcased his creativity on the feet in his past couple of outings since training alongside Parr. First, McLaren blended in his newly acquired skills to get past “The Hunter” Xie Wei at ONE 158 in June last year. Though he ultimately won via a rear-naked choke, “Lightning’s” work on the feet allowed him to transition to the canvas at ease.

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Following that impressive performance, McLaren put on another commanding display to force Brazil’s Windson Ramos to quit at the end of round two at ONE 162. His jab-straight combinations found a home throughout the duel. And later on in the second frame, the Australian mixed targets and relied on his body hooks and jab-right kick combinations to seal the win.