Aslamjon Ortikov looks to have earned his shot at the vacant ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai title – even if he still will not say the name of the man most likely standing across from him.
The unbeaten Uzbek delivered another clinical performance at ONE Fight Night 43, stopping Jordan Estupinan in the second round at Lumpinee Stadium after scoring three knockdowns.
But the more intriguing moment came afterwards.
Asked by ONE commentator Mitch Chilson during his in-ring interview whether Asadula Imangazaliev would be next, with the Russian sitting ringside, Ortikov again refused to be drawn.
A face-off appeared to be there for ONE to make in the ring. It never happened.
Backstage, Ortikov was no more forthcoming when asked by the Bangkok Post whether he expected Imangazaliev to be the opponent for the vacant belt.
“Yes, bro, I’m expecting, to be honest,” Ortikov said. “Anyone, as I told you. Anyone – him, another one.
Aslamjon Ortikov celebrates his second-round TKO win over Jordan Estupinan at ONE Fight Night 43
“I respect all of them and I’m just coming for my dream. That’s it.”
The 22-year-old has now won all 10 of his fights under the ONE banner, extending a run that has quietly made him one of the most consistent young fighters in the promotion.
Imangazaliev, also 22, is unbeaten in eight ONE fights and had been due to fight Nong-O Hama for the vacant flyweight Muay Thai title in March, only to miss weight and leave himself ineligible to win the belt.
He still knocked Nong-O out in the second round, putting himself firmly in the title conversation.
Ortikov, though, may feel he has been waiting longer.
He beat former title challenger Kongthoranee Sor Sommai last summer, months before Imangazaliev stopped the same opponent in January.
While Imangazaliev was then given the title fight with Nong-O, Ortikov was left to wait through a long layoff.
“Honestly, yes,” Ortikov said when asked whether he felt he should already have received a title shot.
Aslamjon Ortikov throws a left hook at Jordan Estupinan at ONE Fight Night 43
“Many, many people told me before the [Estupinan] fight, even when they announced the fight, they wrote to me, they messaged me: ‘Why this? Why no title shot?’
“I said, ‘I don’t know.’ In my opinion, they [ONE] just wanted to check before the title shot because for a long time I didn’t fight.
“They wanted to check, maybe as a kind of warm-up, to see how I’m going to feel inside the ring after the long break. And I felt good.”
That much was clear.
Estupinan had shown toughness and threat in previous ONE displays, but Ortikov broke him down with precision and composure before forcing the finish in round two.
Asked to rate the performance out of 10, Ortikov smiled and gave himself full marks.
“I think 10, as always,” he said. “Because I know how hard I trained for this and finally it paid off.”
The Estupinan fight had originally been scheduled a month earlier, only to fall through two days before the event.
Aslamjon Ortikov walks off after dropping Jordan Estupinan at ONE Fight Night 43
For Ortikov, the cancellation stretched an already frustrating spell of inactivity.
“That wasn’t easy,” he said. “Before this I already was waiting six months for the fight.
“I was training, I was waiting for a fight, I was expecting a fight. But when I had a fight and it was cancelled two days before the fight, of course I’m going to be sad.
“I was waiting, I was preparing for this, but anyway it happened.”
Ortikov insisted he was not angry with ONE for making him take another fight before the title shot.
“No, not at all angry,” he said. “Why am I going to be angry? They give me these chances. They give me all these chances.”
He also said he was ready to fight whenever the promotion calls, naming July or ONE Samurai 2 in Japan in August as possible landing spots.
“I don’t have any injuries. I’m ready,” Ortikov said. “The main thing is the title shot.”
Aslamjon Ortikov gestures to the Lumpinee Stadium crowd after stopping Jordan Estupinan at ONE Fight Night 43
For now, the obvious fight remains Ortikov against Imangazaliev, with former champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s contract standoff and legal dispute with ONE still unresolved despite his fight with Takeru now being out of the way.
The vacant flyweight Muay Thai belt needs a new owner, and ONE has two unbeaten 22-year-olds at the front of the queue.
Ortikov just will not quite say it.
“Next fight is going to be really big,” he said. “Many, many people wanted me to fight for the title, and I’m really happy.
“They think I’m ready for this. They know it. They see something – they see skill, they see everything.
“They know I’m ready for the title.”
