Ilya Freymanov (12-2) is supremely confident he’ll bring another ONE world title back to Russia in his upcoming outing.

With ONE featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai out of action, the 27-year-old star will take on former divisional king Thanh Le (13-3) for the interim strap at the blockbuster ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video event on October 6, and he plans to make the most of his shot at gold.

Looking ahead to the biggest fight of his career, Freymanov expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lock horns with a man that has long been in his crosshairs.

“(Thanh) Le was a dominant champion. (I’ve got) nothing but respect for his career. I’ve wanted to fight him for a long time. It’s a big challenge for me, and a win over Le will make me the (next person) to challenge (Tang Kai),” he said.

“I think I have a good chance to finish the fight early. Thanks to the organization for the opportunity and trust.”

Freymanov has gotten off to a flying start in his ONE tenure.

He has only appeared twice on the global stage, but his two thrilling first-round stoppages against former two-division titleholder Martin Nguyen and dangerous Mongolian Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg have rocketed the Kuznya Fight Club representative to number three in the featherweight rankings.

Freymanov scored $50,000 performance bonuses on both occasions, and he believes he has what it takes to make it three from three when he faces off with fellow knockout artist Le.

“I think the key factor in this fight will be cardio and timing, as we both know how to throw fast punches. It could be over quickly here. I believe I am the better man. I will be looking to knock out my opponent like I always do and to earn a bonus,” he said.

“I believe in my victory and that I am better as an MMA fighter. We’re strong strikers. We both have a high percentage of early wins, so it will be an interesting fight – entertaining in any case. We’ll see everything in the ring.”