“I will become the champion” – Rade Opacic says KO over Iraj Azizpour will power him to kickboxing gold

Heavyweight destructor Rade Opacic is dreaming of an emphatic finish over Iraj Azizpour at ONE 165 before he makes a run at ONE Championship gold.

The Serbian tank squares off with the aforementioned as part of the organization’s return to Japan in a card brimming with talent that emanates live from the Ariake Arena this Sunday, January 28.

While his focus is on passing his next assignment with flying colors, the 26-year-old fighting out of KBKS Team does want to dream big with a possible inaugural ONE heavyweight kickboxing world title up for grabs.

Speaking to ONE Championship, Rade Opacic said:

“When I finish him, I’m going to go for the belt because I know I deserve it. I will prove to everybody that I deserve it and that I will become the champion.”

The Belgrade native has racked up six wins from seven outings under the ONE spotlight. More impressively, he has attained five knockouts, which speaks volumes about the power he possesses at the tip of his fists and feet.

The only time he failed to finish his rival inside the allotted time was when he ran it back with Guto Inocente at ONE Fight Night 11 in June last year.

However, his unanimous decision win over the Brazilian veteran allowed him to avenge his only defeat on the global stage of martial arts when they met at ONE 158 in June 2022.

ONE 165 airs live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.

---

ONE Championship: Rade Opacic vs Roman Kryklia must happen in 2024

Nothing excites the world more than a contest featuring two 265-pound behemoths with only one thing in mind – a big finish.

And that is what the world can expect if Rade Opacic and Roman Kryklia share the Circle in the future.

The Serbian slugger has a habit of attaining highlight-reel victories. The same can be said for Kryklia, who owns the ONE light heavyweight kickboxing and heavyweight Muay Thai world championship.

With a knockout all but guaranteed whenever they are on duty in ONE, this potential clash should be a heated exchange between two masters of the stand-up art.

And if you throw in a world title element into it, rest assured, it would be one for the ages.