Liam Nolan made his return to ONE Championship Muay Thai, aiming to re-ignite his pursuit of the lightweight world title after a year away from competition.
However, his path toward championship gold became significantly longer just 59 seconds into his comeback fight.
Iranian striker Abolfazl Alipourandi landed a powerful head kick that sent the British fighter crashing to the canvas. The referee immediately stopped the lightweight Muay Thai bout in the first round at ONE Fight Night 31.
Nolan was originally scheduled for a rematch against Nauzet Trujillo, the last opponent to defeat him in February 2024. However, Trujillo withdrew from the contest during fight week.
Alipourandi stepped in as a replacement on just five days` notice. Despite Nolan having more experience and a three-inch height advantage, these factors ultimately proved insignificant.
From the opening bell at Bangkok`s Lumpinee Stadium, the Iranian fearlessly advanced, throwing aggressive punches and immediately putting the 27-year-old Nolan on the defensive.
Nolan attempted to establish distance using kicks, but Alipourandi maintained pressure, closing the gap with punches and eventually clinching against the ropes.
After the referee separated them and restarted the action in the center, Nolan again threw heavy kicks. Alipourandi responded by pressing forward, threatening with more punches and forcing Nolan back towards the ropes.
Then, as Nolan lowered his left arm, seemingly bracing for a body shot, Alipourandi feinted low before delivering a deceptive head kick. The strike connected squarely, impacting Nolan`s jaw and wrapping around his neck. The blow instantly knocked out the Londoner, who collapsed against the ropes before falling awkwardly onto the mat.
The referee initially prepared to administer an eight-count, but upon seeing Nolan`s clear inability to recover, he officially called off the fight at the 59-second mark of round one. This defeat brings Nolan`s professional record to 22-9.
