Watch: Dagestani destroyer Saygid Izagakhmaev’s ONE Championship debut

Enormous expectations have been placed on Russian athlete Saygid Izagakhmaev. He is following in the footsteps of fellow Dagestani fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov by pursuing immense glory in the sport of mixed martial arts.

ONE Championship recently shared Izagakhmaev's debut fight in the organization on YouTube. The video description reads:

"Before Khabib Nurmagomedov's protege and Russian MMA phenom Saygid Izagakhmaev returns to face Chinese star Zhang Lipeng on September 29, relive his jaw-dropping debut against American warrior James Nakashima in January 2022!"

Catch the full fight below:

In his ONE debut match, Izagakhmaev made quick work of 'Nako' James Nakashima. The 28-year-old took down his American opponent, controlled the fight, and won in the second round with a Brabo Choke submission.

MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov was featured during the video, saying:

"I grew up with Saygid. Almost 15 years ago we were training together. He began training with my father when he was very young, and I know him very, very well."

Regarding Izagakhmaev's fighting ability, Nurmagomedov continued:

"Saygid's fighting style is very dangerous because he's tall. He has long reach, legs, and arms ... Of course, he's very good on the ground."

The 28-year-old Russian athlete will face another major test when he meets China's Zhang Lipeng at ONE 161, which is scheduled for September 29. Izagakhmaev will be looking to make it four consecutive victories.

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Saygid Izagakhmaev puts the ONE division on notice

Saygid Izagakhmaev has his eyes on the top 10 of ONE Championship's lightweight division. The 28-year-old has warned all of his potential opponents that he is coming for the world title and will stop anyone in his way.

While speaking in an interview with ONE Championship, Izagakhmaev said:

“I want to tell my future opponents: be ready. Be ready for wrestling, for stand-up, [it makes] no difference ... I will approach more top fighters, such as Ok Rae Yoon and Eddie Alvarez.”

He also added that ONE gold will be his:

“My goal in ONE Championship is to become the world champion. If I didn’t have this goal in mind, I wouldn’t fight. I want to be a champion, and Inshallah, with the Lord’s help, I will become a champion."

To make a run for the world title, he will first need to earn a victory at ONE 161 against 'The Warrior' Zhang. The Chinese fighter is currently on a five-fight win streak and will be a challenging fight for Izagakhmaev.