Saygid Izagakhmaev

Dagestani-born lightweight Saygid Izagakhmaev has built an impressive resume for himself. 

Izagakhmaev, who trains under MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, has more than 20 victories to his name, with 75 percent of those wins coming by finish. He’s proven to be a skilled grappler and a heavy hitter when standing under the bright lights of the Circle.

The lightweight star’s road to greatness began when he was a pre-teen. The Russian fighter began training with Khabib’s father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, when he was only 12 years old. The strict training and imperative discipline that the senior Nurmagomedov instilled in his athletes molded Izagakhmaev into the hardworking and dedicated fighter he is today.

Only five years later, he went professional in MMA. Izagakhmaev quickly picked up a 13-fight winning streak, with nearly half of those victories ending in the first round. Most of his career was spent fighting around Eastern Europe, where he quickly developed a reputation as a submission specialist.

The Russian frequently employs his heavy wrestling and sambo style, which has paid dividends in his ONE Championship career so far.

In his promotional debut at ONE: HEAVY HITTERS in January 2022, Izagakhmaev defeated former ONE Welterweight World Title challenger James Nakashima in the second round via Brabo choke. Eight months later at ONE 161, he followed that up by dominating Chinese MMA pioneer Zhang Lipeng en route to a unanimous decision.

Izagakhmaev joined ONE Championship with the goal of becoming the ONE Lightweight World Champion. With his stellar performances and relentless grit, he is well on his way toward achieving his objective.