Watch: Khabib Nurmagomedov talks about his protégé, ONE Championship newcomer Saygid Izagakhmaev
At ONE: Heavy Hitters on January 14, the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to appear in ONE Championship for the first time ever. 'The Eagle' will be one of the cornermen for Dagestan's Saygid Izagakhmaev in his ONE promotional debut.
Though other fighters from Khabib's famed Eagles MMA team have fought in ONE, this is the first time the former UFC champion will coach one of his teammates in the Circle.
Excited about his comrade's debut on the world stage, the retired undefeated champion recently sat down with ONE Championship. In a YouTube video released by the promotion, we get to hear what Khabib has to say about his much-hyped protege.
One of the things people are most curious about Izagakhmaev is his similarity in fighting style with the dominant former UFC lightweight champ. Because they have been training together since they were boys, this fact couldn't be more true.
In the interview, Khabib not only confirmed this but also provided additional insight:
"Yes, we have a little bit similar fighting style because we all trained together for a long time. Grappling, wrestling, clinching, how we move. How we use our body and hips on the ground. We have a lot of similar things, but he's a little bit taller than me. And he has good Thai boxing, and good technique. His elbows, his knees, he's very good in this. Of course we have similar base, but he's a little bit different than me."
So we have a fighter who is not only similar in Khabib's wrestling and grappling prowess, but can also be dangerous in other aspects of the game. This is very telling on what to expect from Izagakhmaev and how he would fare against the rest of ONE Championship's lightweight roster.
Watch the full interview here:
Saygid Izagakhmaev makes his ONE Championship debut against James Nakashima
At ONE: Heavy Hitters, the much-anticipated promotional debut of Saygid Izagakhmaev will finally happen against American wrestler James Nakashima. The main card bout will be an interesting one as it pits two wrestlers of different origins against each other.
The gritty wrestler Nakashima might be the toughest test for anyone debuting in the Circle. Not only does the Illinois native have an extensive background in amateur wrestling, he also has competitive striking skills to boot.
Whether or not Izagakhmaev passes his first test in ONE, we'll have to tune in on January 14 to find out.