ONE: Only the Brave - Zhang Lipeng views fight against Uulu as decisive bout towards lightweight rankings

Bengaluru, January 25: Zhang Lipeng wants to show the world why he deserves a spot in the lightweight rankings once he returns to the Circle this week to face Ruslan Emilbek Uulu at the ONE: Only the Brave event.

With an eye to improve on the rankings, "The Warrior" views his fight against "Snow Leopard" Emilbek Uulu on January 28 as a must-win battle that could pay dividends in his pursuit of a world title.

"The follow-up bouts are more important. I still have to keep winning because getting into the top-five [rankings] and then finally winning the championship is what I plan for the future in my career," the 31-year-old said.

"The Warrior" has no time for fun and games. He arrived at the promotion with a 30-11-2 resume and was presented a main event showdown against former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard "Landslide" Folayang at ONE: Battleground II.

He controlled and frustrated the Filipino athlete throughout the 15-minute contest and eventually took home a vital unanimous decision win. Despite securing the essential win, he was not entirely pleased with his performance.

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"Once I knew that my opponent was a former champ, I was actually ready to fight for three rounds. At that time, I felt that he was weaker on the ground, so I wanted to finish him after taking him down," he recalled. "But my opponent was powerful and defended well, so the fight ended up going to [the] judges."

The GP Mixed Martial Arts representative knows that winning alone won't be enough to achieve his dream of attaining a ONE World Title.

If possible, Zhang wants to leave a lasting impression every time he fights. With 22 finishes to his name, fans can certainly expect the Chinese megastar to hunt for another early stoppage.

It won't come easy, but Zhang rewatched his rival's most recent outing and is confident of his chances at victory.

"Last time, he fought three full rounds, but I didn't see a lot of techniques. He was just rushing forward, and I didn't see any effective attacks after taking down his opponent. So he has no advantage in ground wrestling over me," he shared.

"If I can control the game and give my best, I may be able to knock him out in the first or second round."

Download the ONE Super App to catch these two lightweight warriors clash at ONE: Only the Brave. Fans in India can catch all the action live, starting with the lead card on Disney+ Hotstar or Star Sports Select 1 at 4 PM IST on Friday (January 28).

Source: Media Release