Dagi Arslanaliev

Dagestani BJJ Champion Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev did not have it easy growing up, but he would go on to become a multiple-time champion in several disciplines. When he was just a toddler, his parents separated, and at the age of 5 he started living in a boarding school for combat sports athletes. There, he began to study a form of wushu.

When he was 14, Arslanaliev moved to Istanbul to live with his mother and began training at Corvos MMA, where he started studying under a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He went on to place on the podium at numerous BJJ tournaments around Europe, even earning the title of Azerbaijan Open BJJ Champion. In wushu, he is a former Russian and Armenian national champion, as well as a three-time champion in both Azerbaijan and Dagestan, showcasing his all-round skill set.

Having stopped his opponent in the first round in almost all of his wins, Arslanaliev is undoubtedly one of the most exciting talents to watch on the global stage. Most impressively, he knocked out Russian top contender Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES, proving that he belongs at the very top of a stacked lightweight division.