3 reasons why Saygid Izagakhmaev is the next best lightweight

Sometimes it only takes a glimpse to see just how strong a fighter is. That’s all it took for Saygid Izagakhmaev to establish his presence in ONE Championship’s lightweight division.

Izagakhmaev is slowly breaking out of his enigmatic shell and he’ll display his ferocity once more when he takes on Zhang Lipeng at ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai on September 29 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Russian fighter debuted in ONE Championship at ONE: Heavy Hitters this January and his two-round beatdown of James Nakashima quickly put the lightweight division on notice.

Izagakhmaev had no problems imposing his will against Nakashima, a former welterweight world title challenger, but he’ll be put to the test once more against the striking machine that is Zhang.

The No.5-ranked lightweight contender is already formidable at this point, but a win over Zhang could push him ever closer to a world title shot against ONE lightweight world champion Christian Lee.

That said, here are three reasons why Saygid Izagakhmaev has the makings of the next lightweight superstar.

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#3. His sheer size and strength

Saygid Izagakhmaev looks like the very definition of a mixed martial arts fighter.

At 6'1", Izagakhmaev is a towering lightweight and he uses that size not only to intimidate but also to turn the fight in his favor whenever he wants. Then there are the physical attributes that help him land strikes from a distance.

Izagakhmaev is one of the longest lightweights in ONE Championship with a wingspan of 77.17 inches and a leg reach of 43.31 inches.

If Izagakhmaev is done tagging his opponents with those hammers of his, then he uses his immense strength to throw his foes around.

A constrictor of a wrestler, Izagakhmaev has no problem coiling himself around his opponents. He also has the patience and wherewithal to look for the most vulnerable joint for a prime submission attempt.

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#2. An aggressive style on the feet

While he’s patient on the ground, Saygid Izagakhmaev is an unrelenting force while standing up.

Izagakhmaev is fully capable of launching bombs that could knock anyone’s head off and he actively hunts for his takedowns at any moment in the fight. Going strike-for-strike with Izagakhmaev is also a dangerous proposition since the Russian can quickly grab a leg and send the fight to the mat.

The Russian fighter needs just one slip-up from his opponent to quickly drag the match to the canvas—an area where he’s almost second to none.

His ONE Championship debut saw just how dangerous Izagakhmaev is on the feet. He stalked Nakashima down throughout the match and scored his takedowns the moment the American fighter missed with his kicks.

Izagakhmaev may be at his most fearsome on the mat, but his stand-up game is also as devastating as anyone’s in the division and he uses that aggression to drag his opponents wherever he wants the match to go.

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#1. Saygid Izagakhmaev learned under Khabib Nurmagomedov’s tutelage

Coaches will always help their fighters develop their style and Saygid Izagakhmaev learned his from someone seen as one of the greatest to ever do it.

Hailing from Makhachkala, Russia, Izagakhmaev learned the craft under the masterful guidance of Khabib Nurmagomedov. His grappling-heavy style is almost a mirror image of how his mentor broke his opponents apart.

Izagakhmaev also displays a level of calmness whenever he wrestles his opponents, which is reminiscent of how Nurmagomedov patiently looked for his submissions on the ground.

Although Nakashima has already beaten one of Nurmagomedov’s teammates in Raimond Magomedaliev, that didn’t put any pressure on Izagakhmaev, who rag-dolled the American fighter for the second-round submission win.