Reece “Lightning” McLaren is thinking of World Championship glory in ONE, and he’s convinced that a win over former divisional king Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhemtov will put him on the cusp of shot at flyweight gold.

The talented Australian meets Akhmetov at ONE Championship’s on-ground U.S. debut show, ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III, in Denver, Colorado, on Friday, May 5. And with four triumphs in his last five outings inside the Circle, he’s made a strong case to be a contender for the throne.

Reece McLaren wanted to claim his next bout for his streak and a title shot

Speaking to ONE, the Boonchu Gym representative said, “I’ll be on a three-fight win streak [if I beat Akhmetov]. I will have just beaten the number two. So that has to put me first in line. I truly believe the winner of this one will be fighting for gold. So yeah, even more reason to tune in.”

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A ground game specialist, McLaren has evolved into a more well-rounded fighter thanks to his work with multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion John Wayne “The Gunslinger” Parr over the last 12 months. 

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The #4-ranked flyweight contender demonstrated his evolution in the stand-up department against “The Hunter” Xie Wei and Windson Ramos last year, scoring dominant finishes over both stars.

McLaren was honored to be the backup fighter for ONE Fight Night 10 main event

McLaren is ready to continue his scale up the stacked flyweight division when ONE arrives in North America next month, and the opportunity to fight on such a historic card isn’t lost on him. 

Defeating Akhmetov is a top priority, but he has also thrown his hat in the ring to slot in should either of the evening’s headliners, Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes or Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, have to pull out of their ONE Flyweight World Title trilogy showdown.

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“Lightning” added, “I feel so honored to be asked to be on this card. To be given the opportunity that if the main events falls out, we may get a bit of a look in. It’s goosebumps sort of stuff. I think I’ll match up great against [Johnson or Moraes]. I have a big left foot and a bigger right hand, and I’m learning to make it count.”