Lightweight MMA contender Alibeg Rasulov marked his ONE Championship debut with a resounding victory over former divisional king Ok Rae Yoon in the main event of ONE Fight Night 23 this past weekend. But the Turkish star believes the skill set he showcased was just the tip of the iceberg.
Rasulov earned a unanimous decision after five rounds of riveting action this past Saturday, 6th July, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium to extend his unbeaten record to an impressive 14-0 and cement himself as a contender in the talent-rich lightweight MMA bracket.
Rasulov was happy with the debut victory, but, given that he entered ONE with 10 stoppages from his 13 outings, he believes he’s capable of more.
“First of all, I want to say thank you to ONE Championship. It’s my first time in ONE, and it was such a [good] fight for a first time. I went five rounds,” he said.
“It was a pretty difficult fight. I’m really happy to have won. My opponent was strong, but still, I won. But I will say that I can do much better.”
When the 31-year-old powerhouse signed with ONE Championship, his only goal was to become World Champion, and it remains the priority at the top of his list.
Had Rasulov made weight in the official window, his headline bout would have been for for the interim lightweight MMA crown, rendering him unable to claim it. But nevertheless, victory at ONE Fight Night 23 has focused on the return of the division’s king and two-weight ONE MMA World Champion Christian Lee.
In the end, though, Rasulov doesn’t care who is holding the crown. When it comes to Lee or anyone else in the division, they’re all just placeholders.
And because he escaped his first outing unscathed, the Hyperion Fighters product is hoping to continue his charge in the world’s largest martial arts organization soon.
“It’s not about Christian Lee. It’s all about the belt. I’m going to face anyone who holds the belt, and I’m going to get the belt,” Rasulov stated.
“I’m not injured, I feel pretty good. I didn’t take a lot of damage, so I’m going to be ready for the fight if there’s a fight.”
