“I didn’t feel much pressure” - Alibeg Rasulov proved he was ready for the bright lights after dismantling ex-champ Ok Rae Yoon

Alibeg Rasulov was well prepared for the bright lights of martial arts' biggest global stage.

In July, the unbeaten Chechen-born star made his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 24 and was immediately thrown into the fire — squaring off against former ONE world titleholder Ok Rae Yoon.

Though he was the newcomer, Rasulov carried himself like a veteran, dismantling Ok from the get-go and securing the biggest win of his career thus far.

Rasulov now has the chance to bring 26 pounds of gold back home to Turkey when he challenges reigning two-division king Christian Lee for the ONE lightweight MMA world championship this Friday night at ONE Fight Night 26 on Prime Video.

Looking back on his big debut during a conversation with ONE, Rasulov revealed that he felt little pressure going into the fight:

"I was very excited, my opponent was very strong, an ex-champion, and I had a good lift in rankings. It was my first fight in ONE, but I didn’t feel much pressure, [since] I had already fought in main fights before and got used to it."

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Alibeg Rasulov faces his toughest test yet against the returning Christian Lee

While Alibeg Rasulov looked flawless in his promotional premiere, the 14-0 fighter will face his toughest test yet this Friday night inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.

After more than two years on the shelf, Christian Lee returns to action and is ready to resume his reign as both the ONE lightweight and welterweight MMA world champion. 'The Warrior' is 17-4 in his mixed martial arts career — all of his fights under the ONE Championship banner.

Perhaps more impressive than his record is his finish rate, putting away 16 of his 17 wins inside the distance, including 12 knockouts and another four via submission.

Will one of the most prolific finishers in MMA history pick up right where he left off or will Rasulov usher in a new era in the loaded lightweight division?

Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 26 live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Dec. 6 in U.S. primetime.