Liam Nolan is returning to ONE Championship, determined to get revenge in his rematch against Nauzet Trujillo on May 3rd.
Nolan, a British fighter, was close to competing for a Muay Thai world title when he was surprisingly defeated by Spain`s Trujillo last year.
Now, Nolan is focused on settling the score in their second fight.
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`It will feel amazing to get back that win. I know I`m capable of it, so achieving it will be incredible,` Nolan stated.
`I`ve reflected a lot on the previous fight. I`ve analyzed it, watched it back, and discussed it with my coaches. There are definitely adjustments I`ll make this time.`
`Returning and regaining momentum is crucial, and that`s why this fight is so important.`
Nolan was just one victory away from challenging for the ONE Muay Thai lightweight world championship when he first encountered Trujillo.
Despite dominating the first round, misfortune struck. Nolan broke his right hand, and in the second round, an elbow from Trujillo landed, knocking Nolan down and damaging his nose.
He got back up and fought on, but it wasn`t enough to win the three-round match.
`When he hit me with that elbow, I was in bad shape. My nose was broken, and my hand was broken. When your nose is broken, if you try to breathe out, your eye swells up, so I couldn`t see him properly either. I was just trying to hit the general area. It was a nightmare,` Nolan recalled.
`Anything can happen in a fight, and it did that night,` he continued. `I want to overcome that. If that happens again, I`m going to go all out and swing at him, whatever it takes to win. I`ll do anything to secure the win.`
To prepare for this rematch, Nolan has been sparring with UFC fighter Ian Garry. `We`ve been doing many rounds together. It`s been fantastic. He`s been my sparring partner for this fight,` Nolan mentioned.
`We do five-minute rounds; it`s like a real chess match,` he added. `He tries to bait me, and I try to bait him, really analyzing my actions, feinting, focusing on small details. It`s not your typical sparring session.`
`It`s excellent training, and I`m enjoying it.`
Championship Goal
If he wins, Nolan believes he will be back in contention for a world title fight, although he might need to wait for British rival George Jarvis to get his chance against Regian Eersel, the ONE lightweight Muay Thai world champion.
`I`m not far off,` Nolan said. `I think George Jarvis deserves to fight for the world title now.`
`Maybe after this fight, I`ll have another fight and then potentially face the winner of George versus Eersel.`
`Me and him have a rivalry,` he added. `We`re both in the same division, both British. We have that rivalry, and I think it would be a great fight.`
`I believe he can beat Eersel. Eersel is great, but George has the Muay Thai style… It`s a good matchup.`
`My goal is still to become world champion. That hasn`t changed,` Nolan declared. `After losing that fight, I didn`t think, “I can`t do it now.” I still believe I can.`
Marcus Bellamy