Manama: Tae Kyun “Ares” Kim is ready to walk through whatever Nurzhan “Bizon” Akishev throws his way in a pivotal match for both men this weekend.
The undefeated South Korean enters enemy territory this Saturday, August 21st as he is penciled to square off with a hometown hero in the form of Akishev at BRAVE CF 53 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
“Ares” believes his bout with the Kazakh stalwart has all the ingredients for an exciting battle, and it is one that he has been looking forward to since 2019 when he first joined the Bahrain-based promotion.
“He (Akishev) is a very tough fighter, and he seems to have the blood of a warrior. But he also has weaknesses, and I think I can easily win if I focus on that part,” Kim said.
Ranked as the No. 5 featherweight in Central Asia, Akishev holds a stellar professional record of 11-3 with eight victories by submission and two via knockout, and prior to his promotional debut this past January, he was riding high on a four-fight winning streak.
The 28-year-old grappling maestro eyes redemption after losing to Roman Bogatov via unanimous decision at BRAVE CF 46 a few months ago. However, the man standing in his re-entry to the winner’s circle is Kim, who has been on a roll with three consecutive victories under the organization’s banner.
A possible shot at the vacant BRAVE CF Featherweight World Championship could be on the horizon if either one of them will be able to secure the decisive win in the main event.
With a lot on the line this coming Saturday, Kim wants to put on a performance that is worthy of his ability and hard work in training so he can prove he is a force to be reckoned with.
“I will definitely win by KO. In the second round, I will win by KO,” he declared. “My striking, wrestling and cage grappling are way better. I want to put pressure on him and keep pressing, and then take the finish once it’s there.”
