Dzhabar Askerov dreaming of ONE kickboxing world GP final in Japan

But ahead of the showdown, Askerov revealed that he is already relishing the final showdown at ONE: CENTURY in Tokyo, Japan, which gets underway on Sunday, 13 October.

“I hope I will get a chance to face the winner in Tokyo in the final,” Askerov stressed.

“What is a man without a dream? Every day, I imagine myself in Tokyo fighting in the ONE World Grand Prix final. I wake up and go to sleep with this thought. This dream has become my life now.”

To turn his dream into reality, the multiple-time kickboxing World Champion knows he has to force a win against an opponent whose confidence is sky-high following a victory against “The Hero” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex.

But as the Dagestan native puts it – martial arts is always full of surprises.

“I think Yodsanklai lost because he was too sure of himself. It’s good to be confident, but sometimes it can backfire. You do make mistakes when you are overconfident. Yod made several mistakes – everyone who understands our sport saw them,” the Vityaz Fight Club martial artist said.

“I was very surprised, like many others, by Yodsanklai’s loss – it was a major upset of the tournament. But let’s face it, the fighting game is always full of surprises!”

Despite owning several World Titles, Askerov added that the semifinals clash in Bangkok could be his most important battle to date.

With that in mind, “Genghis Khan” has trained harder than ever in hopes of competing in Japan in October.

“I must approach 16 August in top physical form and injury-free. My training is on point. I have been training in Moscow and [traveled to] Dagestan to finish off,” the 33-year-old revealed.

“For many reasons, Samy Sana is a difficult opponent, so together with my team, we have been studying him a lot, and now I am perfecting my tactics and polishing my game plan.