Alibeg Rasulov wants to win ONE world title for family, coaches: “That’s the most important one”

Undefeated lightweight MMA star Alibeg Rasulov of Turkey emerged victorious in his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 23 on Prime Video last week, but he says his ultimate goal is to win the gold.

Rasulov scored a unanimous decision victory over former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Ok Rae Yoon of South Korea at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. And although he failed to win the interim gold, Rasulov believes he should be next in line to face the current divisional king 'The Warrior' Christian Lee.

Speaking to South China Morning Post in a recent interview, Rasulov says he wants to win the lightweight MMA belt for his family and coaches.

The unbeaten 31-year-old said:

"The most important for me is to win the belt. That’s the most important one. I want to help my family, my trainers, and my friends as well."

Rasulov just missed out on winning the ONE interim lightweight MMA world title after he failed to weigh in the day prior within the allowed window. Only Ok was eligible to win the belt in their main event showdown.

But Rasulov turned in a comprehensive performance, dominating the South Korean to earn the nod of the judges.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of ONE Fight Night 23 absolutely free and on-demand via Amazon Prime Video.

Alibeg Rasulov says win over Ok Rae Yoon was not easy: "He is a really experienced fighter"

Unbeaten Turkish sensation Alibeg Rasulov knew his fight against Ok Rae Yoon would be anything but a walk in the park.

The 31-year-old Hyperion Fighters representative described what he thought of the former ONE lightweight MMA world champion. He told SCMP MMA:

"Yeah, I think so. Because he is a really experienced fighter and he had so many fights. At the same time, he fought five rounds before that’s why I felt like he was going to be good."