“I don’t see any other welterweight contenders” - Christian Lee views Murad Ramazanov as top contender for welterweight throne

Christian Lee doesn’t see any other top contenders for the welterweight throne except Russian juggernaut Murad Ramazanov.

Both Lee and Ramazanov are slated to fight in two hotly anticipated matches this year against the toughest welterweights in the division. For Lee’s part, the Singapore-American striker got the fight he always wanted by facing Kiamrian Abbasov for the ONE welterweight world title.

Intent on defeating Abbasov on November 18 at ONE on Prime Video 4, Christian Lee is well aware of the threat that lies ahead in top-ranked contender Murad Ramazanov, who fights ONE newcomer Roberto Soldic, a few weeks after Lee, at ONE on Prime Video 5.

If Ramazanov beats Soldic, Lee believes he’s next in line for the title.vHe told ONE Championship:

“I think that Ramazanov was already in line for a title shot before that fight. So I don’t see any other welterweight contenders that they would put ahead of the line for a title shot.”

Murad Ramazanov is one of the best grappling-heavy fighters on the roster. He has turned heads for his imposing ground game with signature ground and pound attacks. Holding a 70% finishing rate and an undefeated record of 11-0, the Dagestani fighter is a problem for all opponents.

While Ramazanov would have been a good matchup for Abbasov, who is also a high-level grappler, it will be just as intriguing to watch him fight against Roberto Soldic.

The Croatian striker is on a seven-fight winning streak, with six of those seven ending in knockout finishes.

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Christian Lee has a watchful eye on MMA upstart Saygid Izagakhmaev

Shakespeare’s famous quote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown” couldn’t be more in line with what Christian Lee is going through.

After reclaiming his lightweight world title at ONE 160 and now challenging Kiamrian Abbasov for welterweight gold, there are a lot of contenders out there threatening to take his glory.

One fighter on Christian Lee’s watch list is Saygid Izagakhmaev.

The Eagles MMA representative has another opportunity to show what he’s made of when he squares off with No.5-ranked contender Shinya Aoki, in a lightweight match at ONE 163 on Saturday, November 19. 'The Warrior’ told ONE Championship:

“I’ve seen [Saygid]. He’s got one good fight in ONE so far [a submission of James Nakashima]. He’s got another tough fight ahead of him. So I think it only makes sense to work with our rankings. See who’s in the top five and let them sort it out. So let’s have a few of the top-five contenders fight their way up to the top, and then I’ll take whoever’s next there.”