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Victory last weekend at ONE Fight Night 32 wasn’t just a return to winning ways for Russia’s Tagir Khalilov. It also meant delivering on his word to his baby boy, Malik.
“Samingpri” defeated renowned Chinese striker Liao Shixu by unanimous decision in 140-pound Muay Thai action on Friday, June 6, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand – a victory he promised his infant son shortly after he was born.
Khalilov has always been one of the toughest, most game fighters on ONE Championship’s roster. After all, he took on former flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon in his debut in February 2021 on short notice.
He even stepped up to fight ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 in July 2023 at ONE Fight Night 12. So fans can’t question his heart.
But after the birth of his son, fighting took on a whole new meaning for him. Khalilov no longer fought for pride or amusement. The 32-year-old wanted to show his son what it meant to be one of the best strikers in the world.
In fact, he dreams of presenting his young family with a ONE World Title.
“Yes, I’m very happy because I have a new baby. My son, Malik. He was born one year ago. And I told him, I will bring a win for you. But two times I lost. And this fight, it was more important for me because I want to be a champion for him, number one,” he said.
“This win was for my family, my son, my beautiful wife, and my country also. This time, I represent two countries, Russia and Azerbaijan, because every time people ask me. You know, my father is from Azerbaijan, but my home country is Russia. That’s why this win is also for Azerbaijan and my country Russia, and we’ll see what’s next.”
