American muay Thai standout Eddie Abasolo is ready to show the world what he can do at ONE Fight Night 8.
The man known as “Silky Smooth” will take on Danish striker Niclas Larsen in a featherweight muay Thai showpiece, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on Friday, March 24.
Abasolo made his ONE Championship debut as a lightweight in November, and his arrival on the global stage was a marked step up in scale from the muay Thai shows he had been accustomed to.
“How can I explain it? Like, I used to play baseball. I used to play Little League, and then I got into Babe Ruth,” he recalled. “For me, it kind of brought back that same feeling. It’s the big leagues now. I was just super excited to be there.”
Unfortunately for Abasolo, he came up short that night, dropping a unanimous decision to British star Liam Nolan.
As the American striker prepares for his maiden bout in his more natural division, featherweight, he shares something in common with his forthcoming opponent. Like Abasolo, Larsen is also searching for his first win under the ONE banner.
In his time with the organization so far, the Dane has been given a baptism by fire. The 33-year-old fell to future ONE featherweight muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK.Saenchai in his debut, and then he came up short against No. 3-ranked Jimmy Vienot in his sophomore appearance.
Those details are not lost on Abasolo, who remains respectful of his rival’s skills.
“Anyone that I come across in ONE is going to be a tough opponent. Larsen, for me, it’s kind of hard just to break him down because he’s so versatile. He can do so many things. He’s already a champion,” he said.
“He’s 0-2 (in ONE), but those two opponents were no freakin’ pushovers. You know, Tawanchai is the champion right now. So, his record, I don’t even care about his record.”
In a career that spanned across some of the biggest promotions in the North American and European muay Thai scenes, Abasolo amassed a 13-4 record and became known for his crowd-pleasing fighting style.
When he returns to action at ONE Fight Night 8, the California native plans to put on another show-stopping performance.
“I feel like it’s going to go the distance, but it’s going to be an exciting fight. I promise that I will win the heart of the crowd and fight beautiful muay Thai,” he said.
“It’s not going to be an easy challenge. It’s not. The momentum is going to be going back and forth, which is, again, why I need to stay on my p’s and q’s. If I start doing well, I can’t slip up, not once, because he’s always dangerous.”
Never short of confidence, Abasolo also has lofty goals for his career at large.
Despite his debut loss, the 36-year-old knows that a win over the No. 5-ranked Larsen would put him on the road toward a crack at Tawanchai’s ONE featherweight muay Thai world title.
“It’s funny, man, because as a fighter, I believe in myself. I believe I’m the best in the world, internally. But until I get my hand raised with the belt around me, I view myself as if I have to prove it,” he said.
“So, I’m always going to look at myself as if I’m at the bottom of the totem pole. Because that’s where I do the best work, that’s where I’m the most humble, that’s where I’m the most hard-working.”
