Nieky “The Natural” Holzken looked phenomenal in his ONE Championship debut.
The Dutch striker only needed two rounds to capture a stunning finish over Cosmo “Good Boy” Alexandre on 17 November at ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Fans had anticipated a good showing from “The Natural,” who returned to kickboxing after a successful spell in the boxing world, but his performance exceeded expectations.
He sent “Good Boy” to the canvas twice in the opening round, but the resilient Sao Paulo native battled back to his feet each time.
With seconds remaining in round two, however, a right uppercut floored Alexandre again, and this time there was no chance of him making the count. The bout was called at 2:59 of the second stanza.
For Holzken, the fresh start in the world’s largest martial arts organization was just what he needed.
“I was very happy to fight [for ONE]. A lot of things happened with my old organization that made me perform badly,” he says.
“This was new, I felt good, and we all saw what happened when I’m feeling good. I was very focused, and everything went the way I had hoped.
“All the frustration from the last two times came out. All the negative thoughts and spirits are gone around me now, and it’s time to shine again.”
The man from Helmond, Netherlands, is now excited to look to the future. Physically and emotionally he is in a good place, and that was evident in Jakarta.
Even among ONE Super Series’ elite athletes, the WFCA Kickboxing World Champion was always likely to rank among the top competitors. By finishing another world-class striker, he has a platform to chase even bigger targets in 2019.
The chance to rise up the ONE Super Series ranks has him motivated.
“That was the beginning, and now we work on the future. I’m looking forward to that,” Holzken explains.
“The hunger is back – new organization, no stress. I want to fight four times in 2019.”
Every division is growing at an exponential rate. ONE’s all-striking league has only been in existence for eight months, and the roster is already stacked with world champions.
They all have their eyes on the same goal, and that is the championship gold in The Home Of Martial Arts.
Holzken is no different. He knows his perfect opener put him at the top of the pile, and he will take on any challenge if it gets him closer to his goal.
“I have nobody in mind, only the belt. A year from now I plan to be ONE World Champion.”
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