At ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video, Arian Sadikovic put on a remarkable performance to grab the greatest victory of his career.
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Arian Sadikovic put on a fantastic performance to grab the greatest scalp of his career at ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video. Last Friday, the Bosnian-German slugger won a unanimous decision against kickboxing legend Nieky Holzken in their lightweight bout at Lumpinee Stadium, putting him back in contention for the division’s title.
“Game Over” had previously lost a World Title challenge to Surinamese great Regian Eersel, so he was ecstatic to return to winning ways in front of a striking-savvy crowd in Bangkok, Thailand. Sadikovic said:
“It was amazing. The atmosphere was good. A lot of friends of mine were there. It’s Nthe best feeling [I’ve had for a long time]. And fighting again in the ring was a nice feeling.”
When asked about his win, Sadikovic said: “He’s a legend. I respect him a lot. I’ve seen a lot of his fights and he’s always strong when he goes forward. So if you give him a lot of space to work, you will lose. So I went for forward pressure. That’s also my style. I always go forward. I have a good chin.
“I know the fans love Nieky Holzken, so I was not 100 percent [I’d get the decision]. It was half and half, but I think I did well in the first two rounds, then I dominated him in the third round. But all in all, I think I won.”
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Arian Sadikovic has a lengthy history in the sport, but he cemented it with a dominant performance against Regian Eersel for the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title in April 2022. Despite losing on points, “Game Over” was the only man to put the two-sport ONE World Champion on the canvas at ONE 156. While Eersel returned from his legendary leaping knee to turn the tide, Sadikovic is confident he has what it takes to win the belt.
Sadikovic said, “I think I’ve been in the top five in kickboxing for a long time. But with this win, I’m sure I’m in the top three. I just have to beat Eersel. So give me a rematch.
“First of all, I think he didn’t win the first fight. It was very close in my eyes. I see a lot of people say I just won the second round but I don’t agree. I think I won more than just the second round.
“So, what would be different is I won’t lose my focus. When I put him down, I will finish him.”
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