‘I Feel No Pressure’ – Alibeg Rasulov Confident For World Title Opportunity At ONE Fight Night 23

Alibeg Rasulov’s upcoming ONE Championship debut was already the biggest moment of his career, but it’s been further boosted by the chance to compete for the ONE Interim Lightweight MMA World Title.  

With reigning king Christian “The Warrior” Lee still on the sidelines, the unbeaten phenom will face top contender and former divisional king Ok Rae Yoon for the belt live in U.S. primetime at ONE Fight Night 23 on Prime Video on Friday, July 5. 

Rasulov has been hoping to compete in the world’s largest martial arts organization for many years. 

The Dagestan-born Turk watched as many of his compatriots enjoyed success in the promotion. Now, he has a golden opportunity to forge his name on the global stage at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.  

The 31-year-old told onefc.com: 

“I have known ONE Championship for a long time. My countrymen have fought there, and I want to be among them. They won titles to become World Champions, and this is very prestigious. 

“This organization is the best in the world. It gives athletes motivation to be stronger. I’m very happy to compete there and become a champion.” 

Rasulov knew that a victory over Ok would put him in the World Title picture, but he didn’t expect to compete for the belt in his inaugural appearance.

However, the man with a 14-0 professional record plans to rise to the occasion after being given the chance to fast-track his career ambitions:

“I’m very excited about it and happy to be given such an opportunity. I feel no pressure at all. It’s a good chance for me.  

“My goal in ONE Championship is to become a dominant champion. This win is very important for me. I will be ready.” 

‘It’s My Time’ – Rasulov Believes He Will Surpass Ok Rae Yoon

Alibeg Rasulov has a lot of respect for Ok Rae Yoon ahead of their Interim World Title showdown at ONE Fight Night 23 on Prime Video. 

After all, Ok has earned wins over decorated World Champions such as Christian Lee, Marat Gafurov, and Eddie Alvarez, showcasing a well-rounded skill set in the process.

For Rasulov, it’s exactly the kind of foe he wanted to face in ONE:

“He is a former champion, a good fighter, and he has beaten many high-level fighters. I was dreaming about such an opponent, so I was very happy when I received his name. I believe it’s my time and I will pass him. 

“His advantage is his stand-up. He mostly fights standing and doesn’t allow you to take him down. He is a good defensive wrestler.” 

Ok has engineered his victories by negating his rivals’ grappling offense before scoring with his punishing striking. 

As a lifelong wrestler, Rasulov will look to close the distance on the South Korean, but he’s ready to duke it out in any range in order to get the belt draped over his shoulder. 

He added:

“It’s going to be an interesting fight. He fights standing up, while I mostly wrestle. The one who forces his game will win, but I’m still confident in myself.  

“He fought Marat Gafurov, my countryman, and I saw that Dagestani wrestling was stronger. 

“If I don’t succeed in wrestling, I will fight standing, but I can fight on the ground as well. I’m going to force my tempo on him.”