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Pound for pound #1 and current ONE Featherweight world champion Chingiz Allazov is set to leave the promotion and become one of the hottest free agents in combat sports according to a source as reported by Beyond Kickboxing.
ONE Champion to Depart from Asian MMA Giant, to Become Free Agent
Allazov spoke about his decision to leave the promotion saying:
“I know in ONE, all the best fighters in my division are in ONE. I know ONE is one of the best kickboxing promotions, it’s true… but we don’t like the contract about this promotion. I would like to thank ONE Championship. It’s not about the money. I beat Sitthichai, and Superbon and became the pound-for-pound best fighter. Marat Grigorian was a tough fight – a fight for my legacy. Now I have another plan. I care about my heart, my legacy, and my dream. I’ll finish my career [with] ONE.”
Allazov leaving ONE is a massive blow to the organization as they will lose one of the top fighters on the planet. There are multiple options for Allazov to pursue as he will be sought after by many top organizations. While he apparently wishes to spend the remainder of his career in Belarus, Russia, and Azerbaijan, he also is slated to compete for three to five years more. If this is true it is hard to see him not compete in a premier organization during this time. Rizin could be Allazov’s landing spot or even GLORY.
If Allazov went to GLORY he would have the chance to become a champion in two of the most prestigious kickboxing organizations on the planet and would also be gifted an opportunity to avenge his most recent loss, a split decision defeat to Enriko Kehl in 2021. Kehl is currently slated to fight current GLORY champion Tyjani Beztati in March.
Fight fans have also seen in recent years with the likes of Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, kickboxers who have been making their way into MMA and doing it very successfully. While he does not have any notable grappling experience there would certainly be a major attraction from fans to see him compete in either the UFC or the PFL, similar to how former GLORY champion Cedric Doumbe has recently embarked on his own MMA career.
Whatever the case, he is certainly a hot commodity and soon will be inked by a top promotion.
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