Liam Nolan is set to make his comeback in ONE Championship, with the event being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Nolan previously faced Nauzet Trujillo last year, resulting in a loss. A rematch was planned to avenge this defeat, but Trujillo of Spain unexpectedly withdrew from the second fight on short notice.
Consequently, the British fighter will now compete against a sudden replacement opponent, Abolfazl Alipour Andi, in a Muay Thai bout. The fight is scheduled to take place at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok and will air live on Sky Sports Action starting from 2 am on Saturday.
A win for Nolan in this contest could potentially pave the way for a significant matchup against his British rival, George Jarvis, who is also a rising competitor in the lightweight division.
Securing a victory would certainly bring Nolan closer to challenging for a world title. However, he anticipates that Jarvis is likely to be the first to face Regian Eersel, the reigning ONE lightweight Muay Thai world champion.
In comments to Sky Sports, Nolan shared his perspective on his title aspirations, stating, “I`m not far away.” He also expressed his belief that George Jarvis “now deserves to fight for the world title.”
Nolan suggested that following his upcoming fight, he might take on another opponent before potentially fighting the eventual winner of a bout between Jarvis and Eersel.
Discussing the possibility of facing Jarvis, Nolan noted, “Me and him have had a rivalry. We`re both in the same division, both British. We`ve got that rivalry and I think it would be a great fight.”
He also offered his assessment of Jarvis`s potential against the champion, saying, “I think he can beat Eersel. Eersel`s great but George has got the Muay Thai style… It`s a good fight.”
Nolan reaffirmed his commitment to his ultimate goal: “My goal is still to be world champion. It`s not even changed. After losing that fight I didn`t think `I can`t do it now`. I can do it still.”
He concluded by stating that his passion for fighting remained strong even during his time away from the sport: “Even when I was away from fighting, the fire was never out. It was always there.”
Tune in to watch Liam Nolan`s return to ONE Championship live on Sky Sports Action from 2 am on Saturday morning.
