Dzhamil Osmanov Reflects On US$100K ONE Championship Contract Victory
When the post-fight verdict began, Dzhamil “Curly Ninja” Osmanov braced himself for the usual advice to keep building his streak. Instead, the 21-year-old Russian walked away with a US$100,000 main roster contract.
Osmanov earned it with a first-round knockout of British veteran Ben “The Problem” Woolliss in bantamweight kickboxing at The Inner Circle 33 on Friday, October 2. The bout streamed live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.
He dropped Woolliss twice inside the opening minute before a heavy body shot ended matters at 1:24. It was his third first-round finish in three ONE appearances and lifted his record to a perfect 8-0.
The Venum Training Camp and Akhmat Kickboxing star had already stopped Cho “Dynamite” Kyeong Jae and Guyasit Singha Mawynn inside the opening round of his first two outings. Woolliss simply became the latest to discover how quickly he can end a fight.
The composure behind those performances was shaped long ago. Osmanov was a child when his father first brought him and his older brother, Elbrus “The Samurai” Osmanov, to train, and the pair have grown up in the sport side by side.
That upbringing left little room for nerves when the stakes rose. He spoke about the win with the same calm he showed inside the ring.
“There are levels to this game. This is our work. We do our work every day. I came out and did it with confidence. It’s just that it’s my time. I come from a place back home where you don’t come into things thinking with fear,” Osmanov said.
The deal now puts him on ONE’s main roster alongside Elbrus, who hopes the brothers can share a card at a future ONE SAMURAI event in Japan. Yet the moment the contract arrived caught the younger Osmanov completely off guard.
“When Mitch spoke, it sounded like he was going to tell me I need to keep building up [my streak]. So, I was like, ‘Okay, I guess I got to keep going.’ But when Mitch switched his comment, I was shocked,” he said.
READ MORE: Jonathan Haggerty Credits Hard Work And Coach Christian Knowles Ahead Of ONE SAMURAI 4
Recent posts
