SINGAPORE – When local mixed martial arts fighter Amir Khan steps into the ring at One Championship’s Call To Greatness event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday (Feb 22), he will not be fighting for just himself.
With his wife Cristina Leontyeva due to deliver the couple’s first child in March, he is eyeing a triumph over Ariel Sexton in their lightweight (up to 77kg) Grand Prix quarter-final match to set him on the path to success in the sport and a brighter future for his son.
Asked what fatherhood meant to him, Amir told The Sunday Times: “It gives me extra motivation. Every fight I take part in will affect my career, and the more successful I am, the more I can provide my son with opportunities in life.
“If I make it, he has a better life, and that’s all I want.”
After a pause, the 24-year-old added with a smirk: “Maybe that, and for him to be able to say: ‘Daddy was a world champion’. I want him to be proud of his dad and be able to show off to his friends.”
One Championship does not disclose fighters’ purses but its atomweight world champion Angela Lee makes a guaranteed six-figure sum per fight, excluding bonuses. Budding fighters may get about $1,300 per fight.
This is the first time a Grand Prix tournament is being held in One Championship, and former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Eddie Alvarez is among the eight fighters in the mix. The winner of the Grand Prix will be also become contender to One’s world title.
Amir earned his long-awaited title shot last November, but fell short at the final hurdle.
Before a partisan 15,000-strong crowd in Manila, he showed plenty of heart and went the distance against veteran Filipino fighter Eduard Folayang, 34, but lost via unanimous decision after five rounds.
Amir, who has 11 wins and four losses in his professional career, candidly admitted that he was second best on the night, and that Folayang’s well-executed game plan exposed “a lot of holes” in his game.
He returned to the gym after just a week’s rest, after he received the call to face Costa Rican jiu-jitsu specialist Sexton (12 wins, four losses).
The 37-year-old noted Amir is a “very dangerous striker” but believes his experience makes him a more well-rounded fighter than his much-younger rival.
“It’s going to be a wild fight, it’s going to be fun, and I know that I’ll come out with my submission,” Sexton said on One’s website.
Former Muay Thai fighter Amir, whose strength lies in his striking ability, has other ideas though.
“He’s targeting a submission, I’m targeting a knockout, so we’ll see whose prediction will come true on Friday.”
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