Despite earning a split decision victory in his last Singapore outing, Amir Khan felt he could have done more to win over his hometown crowd.
On Friday, 28 February, Khan will once again get the chance to ignite the Singapore Indoor Stadium when he battles ONE Warrior Series standout Kimihiro Eto at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE.
“It will be exciting and different, and I’m going to bring something fresh to the Circle this time,” he said.
After picking up a split decision win over Ev “E.T.” Ting last November, the young lion had a chance to unwind on a family vacation. The quick recharge has renewed Khan with optimism.
“I took a proper break for the first time in years. I spent time with my family in Spain and got the chance to reanalyze why in 2019 I felt like I was holding back,” he said.
“I knew I needed to reinvent myself, and the time away allowed me to do that. I know the reason why I didn’t perform at my best last year was mostly psychological, so I took a deeper look and I’ve come out of it ready to show my improvements in 2020.”
Khan, who shares the record with lightweight king Christian Lee for most knockouts in ONE Championship history, has been unable to replicate his early years of success.
The last time the Evolve representative finished an opponent was in May 2018 at ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS, where he stopped South Korean grappler Sung Jong Lee by TKO in the second round.
“I want to go back to my finishing ways,” Khan said.
“People have forgotten that I used to be a knockout artist, so I want to go back and prove to myself and everyone that I have what it takes.”
The 25-year-old Singaporean has mentally reconfigured his game plan for this upcoming bout against Eto.
“The biggest thing we’ve been working on so far is committing to my shots. I have the arsenal, but I am just not committing enough to my strikes and attacks,” he explained.
“Whenever I throw my strikes now, I’m doing it with intent. That is going to make a difference.”
Khan will not settle for anything less than a finish, and he has confidence that, with his skills and new game plan, victory is his for the taking.
“The plan is to start strong, but be smart about it,” he said.
“I am not going to pace myself. [I will] land hard shots, intimidate him, and from there, I will see where the fight goes.
“Once I get that first hard shot in, everything will flow after. I will aim to finish him within one or two rounds.”
Do not miss Khan as he battles his Japanese foe at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE on 28 February in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
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