5 Things You Might Not Know About Halil Amir

Hailing from the resort city of Antalya, Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast, Halil Amir has proved his status as a rising star on the grand stage of ONE Championship. Having made his professional debut in 2016, Amir has been on a tear against viable contenders in Europe and the Middle East, carrying an undefeated 7-0 record to the premier Asian martial arts organization. “No Mercy” has leveraged the momentum and experience into three victories under the ONE banner. Now carrying a clean 10-0 slate, he will gear up to take on fellow undefeated prospect Akbar Abdullaev at ONE on Prime Video 22 this Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ahead of his forthcoming clash against Abdullaev, here are five things you might not know about Amir:

1. He revels in outshining his opponents.

Amir has registered nine finishes in 10 professional fights, which underscores his explosive fighting style. He relies on his power and precision to stifle opponents, scoring eight knockout victories throughout his career. Moreover, he has also demonstrated the ability to wade through the long game or execute a submission whenever the situation calls for it.

2. He takes pride in his fight IQ

The differentiator between Amir and his contemporaries, at least has he sees it, has become clear. He believes his fight IQ is far superior to those of his rivals—a decisive factor that has helped him churn out favorable results in his career. Speaking to the ONE public relations department ahead of his clash against Maurice Abevi in April 2023, “No Love” stated the following: “Whoever examines my game understands that I fight with my head. That is, I think. I don’t attack directly. Of course, sometimes you do, but I fight more with thought. I don’t mean to say I’m the highest-IQ fighter in the world, but I think my IQ is high.”

3. His father was the cornerstone behind his drive.

Amir recently posted a picture on social media with his father, honoring him as the motivation that steered the course of his mixed martial arts journey. He was suited up in the International Taekwon-Do Federation ‘dobok’ with the fifth stage green belt laced around his waist. From the looks of it, his father was sporting a coach’s gear, perhaps suggesting he was a trainer himself. Amir captioned the post on Instagram: “The beginning of a big goal, me and my biggest motivator.”

4. A sports icon inspires him.

Amir, like countless other combat sports stars and aspiring athletes, takes inspiration from the life and legacy of boxing icon Muhammad Ali. The American professional boxer and activist catalyzed a spark in the eyes of fledgling combatants, and the shadow of his greatness ignited the passion of many others. The Turkish athlete regularly posts motivational videos of Ali with captions like: “Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer.”

5. He chases greatness through intense training.

Merely competing and winning is a mark of substandard mentality for Amir. He wants to draw strength by brushing shoulders with champions who have made their mark in the sport. He spends a lot of time training with high-profile combatants like flyweight sensation Muhammad Mokaev and former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.