‘Only The Beginning’ – Asadula Imangazaliev Sets His Sights On Greatness After Historic ONE World Title Win
Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev walked into Lumpinee Stadium as the most dangerous unbeaten fighter in the flyweight Muay Thai division and walked out as its undisputed World Champion.
The 22-year-old Russian sensation claimed the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title with a split-decision victory over Aslamjon “El Pantera” Ortikov in the main event of The Inner Circle 20 on June 26 inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. In doing so, he became Russia’s first-ever ONE Muay Thai World Champion and extended his perfect career record to 13-0.
The clash of unbeaten phenoms delivered everything the striking world had anticipated. Two fighters with zero losses between them pushed each other across five fiercely contested rounds, with Imangazaliev’s relentless forward pressure and unpredictable attacking style ultimately swaying two of the three judges in his favor.
“The Dagestan Ninja” lived up to every bit of his billing, showcasing the full range of his ferocious arsenal with question-mark kicks, head kicks, jumping knees, spinning attacks, and thudding punches that kept Ortikov guessing.
Imangazaliev entered the fight with a clear blueprint, and he believes he executed it as planned.
He said:
“My game plan was to keep moving forward and prove that I’m the best fighter in the world right now. I believe I did exactly that, so the plan worked perfectly. At the same time, I don’t think I showed my full arsenal, and I know I have even more to offer.”
Five rounds of sustained pressure and striking left Imangazaliev confident in what the judges would deliver. But when the announcement came back as a split decision rather than a unanimous verdict, a flicker of nerves crept in before the result was confirmed. He had done the work. He had been certain of it.
Looking back at the fight, he broke down precisely why he believed the night belonged to him, round by round.
Imangazaliev said:
“I was confident that I had won the fight. But when I heard it was a split decision, I started to get a little nervous. I believed I deserved the victory because throughout the entire fight I was the one pushing the action and landing the cleaner shots. By the end of the fight, I was certain I had won rounds one, two, and five, so I felt confident the decision would go my way.”
Ortikov arrived with a 24-0 record and a reputation as one of the most destructive strikers in the flyweight Muay Thai division, a man who had dismantled every opponent placed in front of him since arriving on the global stage.
The Uzbek was a worthy and highly credentialed opponent, but the contest did not unfold in the way Imangazaliev had anticipated tactically. The phenom’s approach on the night surprised the new titleholder.
He said:
“He’s definitely a high-level opponent, but the fight didn’t play out the way I expected. I expected him to come forward and really show that he wanted to win. Instead, I had to chase him for almost the entire fight.”
Imangazaliev Made History And Has No Plans To Stop Here
Asadula Imangazaliev did not climb to the summit of flyweight Muay Thai to simply hold the belt. He arrived here to build a legacy.
Becoming Russia’s first-ever ONE Muay Thai World Champion is a milestone that will be remembered long after his career is over. But for the 13-0 fighter, the achievement is not a destination. It is a starting point, the opening chapter of something he believes can grow into one of the great careers the sport has ever seen.
Imangazaliev said:
“It means everything to me. I’m incredibly happy that I’ve achieved that goal. But this is only the beginning. I’m still very young, I still have a lot of work to do, and I truly believe I can become the greatest Muay Thai World Champion of all time.
“I’m the champion now. I’ve never picked my opponents, and now that I’m the World Champion, I’m definitely not going to start choosing them. Whoever ONE puts in front of me, I’ll be ready to defend my belt.”
For all the ambition that drives him, the Dagestani striker is also wise enough to understand that a career as demanding as his requires recovery as much as relentless forward motion.
Near-constant competition for 24 months has taken its toll, and before the next chapter begins, Imangazaliev has earned the right to step back and breathe.
He said:
“Right now, I’m flying home to be with my family. I want to take some time to rest because the last two years of my career have been incredibly busy. I believe I’ve earned a little time off before I get back to work.”
