“He didn’t seem especially strong to me” - Dagi Arslanaliev says he can do better in potential Tye Ruotolo rematch

Dagi Arslanaliev would love to get another crack at ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion Tye Ruotolo.

While Arslanaliev has largely been known for his impressive work in the world of mixed martial arts, he stepped into the submission grappling spotlight at ONE Fight Night 13 for a showdown with Ruotolo. Despite his best effort, Arslanaliev ultimately came up short, suffering a submission loss just past the two and a half minute mark of the match.

Since then, Arslanaliev has been chomping at the bit to run it back with Ruotolo.

"If ONE gives me at least a month to prepare, I’d gladly take a rematch," Arslanliev told ONE Championship in a recent interview. "He didn’t seem especially strong to me — just technical. But, of course, nobody likes to lose."

Perhaps the Turkish finish will one day get another shot at the unbeaten Ruotolo, but first, Arslanaliev will have his hands full at ONE 171: Qatar when he returns to MMA competition for the first time in more than three years.

---

Dagi Arslanaliev aiming for a rematch with Christian Lee after ONE 171: Qatar

The last time we saw Dagi Arslanliev in action, he scored a third-round submission victory over Timofey Nastyukhin in ONE Championship's 2021 Fight of the Year.

On Thursday, February 20, Arslanaliev will look to pick up right where he left off when he meets Croatian knockout artist Roberto Soldic inside the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

Overall, Arslanaliev is 9-2 in his mixed martial arts career with his last loss coming against current two-division ONE world champion Christian Lee—another defeat that continues to haunt him.

“It needs to be done so I can close this chapter," he told ONE in regards to a rematch with Lee. "I’m probably still not over this fight. There is a question mark over it in my head. I want a rematch with Christian Lee. I have nothing against him as a person. He is a strong competitor. But the idea of this rematch keeps me motivated.”

With a decisive win over 'Robocop' in Qatar, Arslanaliev could very well book himself a long-awaited rematch with Christian Lee in 2025.

ONE 171: Qatar will emanate from the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Thursday, February 20. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.