ONE Championship

There exists in combat sports a particular brand of confidence that comes from preparation meeting opportunity, the kind of certainty that emerges when a fighter has done his homework and believes he's found the answers. On Saturday, January 24, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, twenty-two-year-old Thai striker Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon will test whether his studies have prepared him for the examination. His opponent in this bantamweight Muay Thai main event is Abdulla "Smash Boy" Dayakaev, a twenty-three-year-old Russian knockout artist from Dagestan who carries an 8-1 promotional record with six finishes and a 75 percent finishing rate that suggests patience isn't his preferred approach. Their fight headlines ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev, a rescheduled bout from November 2025 after Dayakaev's injury postponed their first date. The winner could position himself toward ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane. Both fighters enter with four-fight winning streaks and finishing power, setting up a collision that promises violence rather than points. Rambolek speaks of his opponent with the analytical detachment of a fighter who's turned preparation into obsession. "Dayakaev is a very skilled fighter. There's been some hype that he and I should fight against one another. There has to be a decision of who is going to be better because we missed it in our last event. I have been watching him in every fight. I have honestly studied his past fights, probably all of them, to see if he has any weakness. I watch them in order to prepare my counter strategy," Rambolek said. The claim of studying every fight carries weight beyond mere promotional talk. When fighters invest that level of attention to their opponents, they're either discovering vulnerabilities or convincing themselves they exist. The difference between those two outcomes determines who leaves the ring victorious and who leaves reconsidering their assessment. Rambolek's evaluation of the stylistic matchup reveals both respect and dismissal in equal measure, acknowledging Dayakaev's dangerous power while suggesting the Russian's arsenal lacks depth. "Dayakaev's fighting style? Punches, nothing more. His strengths include his powerful strikes and the punches. The advantages I have include my variety of Muay Thai weapons. I may have better speed compared to him, too. I would describe myself as a second-step fighter. I wait for the timing when the opponent strikes and misses, and I can respond very accurately. All he has is his punch, while I am equipped with everything," he said. That characterization — punches versus everything — represents the classic Muay Thai versus boxing debate compressed into a single matchup. The four limbs against two hands, variety against singular devastating power, the patient counter-striker against the aggressive knockout artist. Whether Dayakaev's punching power constitutes "nothing more" or whether it's the only weapon he needs will be settled Saturday morning. Rambolek's self-description as a "second-step fighter" matters particularly against an opponent known for aggressive forward pressure. Counter-strikers live on timing and precision, waiting for opponents to create openings through their own aggression. Against a man nicknamed "Smash Boy" who's finished 75 percent of his opponents, those openings should theoretically present themselves with regularity. The prediction carries the boldness that either ages beautifully or becomes cautionary tale material by Saturday afternoon. "The 'Smash Boy' wouldn't be able to smash me because he will be smashed by me first. In our fight, I will put his lights out," he said. Such declarations create pressure of a specific variety. When fighters promise knockouts publicly, they're staking their credibility on their ability to deliver. Failing to finish after such pronouncements means answering questions about the gap between confidence and capability. Rambolek's ONE World Title ambitions provide context for why this fight matters beyond the immediate victory. "My biggest goal is being a champion. For now, I just need to focus on this fight. If I ever get through this, I think I might get a chance to get championship. If I get my victory in this upcoming fight, I think there is a chance that I will get to fight with Nabil," he said. The pathway seems clear enough — defeat Dayakaev convincingly, earn consideration for a title shot against Anane. Simple in theory, complicated by the reality that Dayakaev possesses his own finishing power and his own championship ambitions, his own belief that Saturday belongs to him. Fighting in front of the Lumpinee crowd adds its own dimension, the weight of representing Thai striking excellence against a foreign challenger who's built his reputation on devastating knockouts. "I would like to tell my fans to be prepared for a sore throat. Because they're going to roar. And I will put my all into it. I am confident that I will be able to gain this victory for the fans and the Thai people," he said. The promise of sore throats suggests Rambolek expects to give the home crowd reasons to celebrate, moments worthy of the kind of sustained roaring that leaves voices hoarse and memories permanent. Whether he can deliver on that promise depends on whether his studies of Dayakaev's fights have revealed genuine vulnerabilities or merely convinced him they exist. Saturday in Bangkok, with U.S. primetime audiences watching, Rambolek will discover if his homework prepared him adequately. His four-fight winning streak meets Dayakaev's identical momentum. His variety of Muay Thai weapons meets the Russian's devastating punching power. His counter-striking patience meets aggressive forward pressure. By fight's end, we'll know if Rambolek's confidence was prophecy or optimism, if his studies revealed the blueprint to victory or merely provided false comfort before the exam. In combat sports, preparation matters — but so does the violence that erupts when two men with finishing power and championship ambitions collide inside the ring. Dayakaev didn't earn the nickname "Smash Boy" through cautious point-fighting. Rambolek didn't promise to put his lights out without believing he possesses the tools to deliver. One of them will be proven correct. The other will be left to recalibrate his assessment and wait for another opportunity to arrive.

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