After a year away from competition, Liam Nolan returned to ONE Championship aiming to resume his pursuit of the lightweight Muay Thai world title.
However, his journey towards championship gold was abruptly halted in less than a minute.
At ONE Fight Night 31, Iranian fighter Abolfazl Alipourandi delivered a devastating head kick that knocked the British star out, leading the referee to stop the lightweight Muay Thai bout in the first round.
The London-based fighter was initially set for a rematch against Nauzet Trujillo, who had previously defeated him in February 2024. Trujillo, however, withdrew from the fight just days before the event.
Alipourandi accepted the fight on short notice, stepping in with only five days` preparation. Despite Nolan`s greater experience and slight height advantage, these factors proved irrelevant once the fight began.
Inside Bangkok`s historic Lumpinee Stadium, the fight started aggressively. Alipourandi immediately pushed forward with forceful punches, putting the 27-year-old Nolan on the back foot.
Nolan attempted to control the distance using kicks, but Alipourandi persisted in closing the gap, engaging in close combat and clinching against the ropes.
The referee separated the fighters, returning them to the center. Nolan again landed some strong kicks, but Alipourandi maintained his aggressive approach, pressureing Nolan back towards the ropes with punches.
It was then that Alipourandi landed the decisive blow. As Nolan lowered his left arm to defend a potential body shot, Alipourandi feinted the body attack and instead landed a powerful head kick. The kick connected squarely, knocking out the Londoner, who collapsed against the ropes before falling to the canvas.
The referee began an eight-count, but quickly saw that Nolan was unable to recover. The fight was officially stopped at 59 seconds into the first round. This defeat brings Nolan`s professional record to 22 wins and 9 losses.
Marcus Bellamy