ONE Championship lightweights Timofey Nastyukhin and Saygid Guseyn 'Dagi' Arslanaliev weave a story of revenge and redemption on the road to ONE: Winter Warriors. On December 3, the two ONE lightweights will meet in a rematch three years in the making as part of a 6-fight card to welcome the Yuletide season.
Back in September of 2018, the two fought in the ONE Circle with Nastyukhin imposing his will on Arslanaliev early. Just when Nastyukhin was about to mount some serious momentum, however, 'Dagi' scored a stunning KO just two minutes into the round. After securing a single-leg while pushing his opponent into the cage, 'Dagi' swept Nastyukhin's other leg to trip him off his feet. Immediately the Dagestani warrior rained punches on the vulnerable Nastyukhin to earn the surprising KO victory.
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Since that fateful night, the two have gone on separate paths to the top of the lightweight ranks. 'Dagi' tore through the ONE Championship lightweight World Grand Prix and fought then lightweight champ Christian 'The Warrior' Lee. Ultimately, 'Dagi' lost the three-round war with Lee, despite fighting valiantly.
Meanwhile, Nastyukhin rebounded from his loss to Arslanaliev. The Russian powerhouse knocked out former UFC champion and ONE championship newcomer Eddie 'The Underground King' Alvarez. After the KO win, however, Nastyukhin had to withdraw from the Grand Prix due to injury. Upon returning, the Russian dominated Pieter 'The Archangel' Buist, which earned him a crack at the gold. Just like 'Dagi', however, Nastyukhin lost to then divisional king Lee, who knocked him out in the first round.
'Dagi' and Nastyukhin's paths will cross again at ONE Championship: Winter Warriors
On December 3, Nastyukhin will look to avenge his KO loss by defeating Arslanaliev in dominant fashion. Most importantly, the Russian slugger needs to get back into the win column again and into the title picture.
Both lightweight standouts' last performances ended in defeat against the same man, Christian Lee. Revenge and redemption will be what motivates these two budding rivals.
Also on the card will be the main event showdown between ONE Championship lightweight kickboxing champion Regian 'The Immortal' Eersel and newcomer Islam Murtazaev. Eersel is eager to cement his legacy in the ONE Circle by dominating his third straight title defense.
The co-main event will be the ONE Championship atomweight Grand Prix finals between Stamp Fairtex and Ritu 'The Indian Tigress' Phogat. This interesting striker vs. grappler dance will determine who will face champion Angela 'Unstoppable' Lee in 2022.