“It’s going to be incredible” - ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong expects fireworks in potential Lee-Izagakhmaev match

ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong believes that a potential match between ONE lightweight world champion Christian Lee and No.5-ranked contender Saygid Izagakhmaev will be an instant classic.

The only thing preventing that from happening is that Izagakhmaev is yet to get enough wins before he even inserts himself into the world title picture.

Nevertheless, Sityodtong is a fan of the potential firefight and he knows fight fans would love a fight between the two lightweight superstars.

During the ONE 161 post-event press conference, Chatri Sityodtong said:

“I think if they ever meet, it’s going to be an incredible all-out war for the fans, right? So yeah, I mean, let's see how everything unfolds. I'm excited about the potential. I do believe they'll probably end up meeting. I just don't see how they don't. But there are still a few more fights we got to make.”

Lee, who’s only 24 years old, is on his second reign with the ONE lightweight world title after his total annihilation of South Korean star Ok Rae Yoon at ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II in August.

‘The Warrior’ came in as the challenger during ONE 160 and their main event showed Lee in what could be his best form. The Singaporean-American star was an offensive juggernaut, eventually finishing off Ok, who’s probably the most resilient lightweight on the planet, with some nasty knees to the head.

Meanwhile, Izagakhmaev is slowly proving the hype that surrounds him, going 2-0 in his first two fights in the promotion. A protege of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov, Izagakhmaev is an aggressive wrestler and uses that trademark Dagestani style to grind his opponents out.

The No.5-ranked lightweight contender is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over China’s Zhang Lipeng at ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai this Thursday.

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Chatri Sityodtong has high hopes for Saygid Izagakhmaev, believes Christian Lee is the best lightweight in the world

Chatri Sityodtong has a rich conundrum on his hands, and that is having two of the best 170-pound fighters in the world.

In the same press conference, Sityodtong said that he signed Izagakhmaev following Nurmagomedov’s recommendation.

Nurmagomedov, who ended his career with a 29-0 record, retired as the UFC lightweight world champion and is now taking on a mentorship role with Eagles MMA. Sityodtong said:

“When I talked to Khabib, Khabib said that [Izagakhmaev] is his best 170-pounder on the team at Eagles and that Saygid is the best. And I said we were signing him and I believe Khabib because he’s a man of his word. And that's why I signed Saygid on the word of Khabib."

Lee, however, holds the ONE lightweight world championship and Chatri Sityodtong believes he is the best lightweight fighter on the planet:

“But I also believe that Christian Lee is the best lightweight on the planet.”