Alibeg Rasulov fired up to realize ONE world title dream vs. Christian Lee: “I’m going for the champion”

Alibeg Rasulov is ready for his shot at ONE Championship gold.

Making his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 23 inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium, the undefeated Turkish standout faced a big test, taking on former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Ok Rae Yoon.

After five rounds of entertaining action, Alibeg was awarded the victory via unanimous decision, bagging his first win under the ONE banner, moving his overall record to 14-0, and most importantly, setting the stage for a scrap with the division's top dog, Christian Lee.

Speaking with ONE commentator Mitch Chilson in the ring immediately following his win, Rasulov declared his desire to challenge the two-division titleholder once he makes his long-awaited return to the ring.

"I’m going for the champion, I’m going for Christian Lee. I’m ready," Rasulov said.

With the loss, Ok Rae Yoon has lost two of his last three, including his world title clash with Christian Lee at ONE 160 in 2022.

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Alibeg Rasulov comments on his weigh-in issue following ONE Fight Night 23

The ONE Fight Night 23 headliner was scheduled to be for the interim ONE lightweight MMA world championship. Technically, that's exactly what it was, however, Rasulov failed to meet the hydration requirements ahead of his weigh-in, disqualifying him from being eligible to win the temporary title.

"It's my first time competing in ONE Championship," Rasulov said in a post-fight interview. "It's a bit new for me, with hydration testing too. So that's why I had to cut weight twice. And you know, that's why I'm saying I could do much better. But at the same time, it was a good experience. I will do much better in the future."

Despite the weigh-in blunder, Rasulov's dominant performance against Ok Rae Yoon should warrant a shot at the undisputed champion.

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 23 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.