“Only get the belt” - Alibeg Rasulov rejects idea of Ok Rae Yoon rematch, wants Christian Lee showdown
Alibeg Rasulov is in ONE Championship for one reason—to get the belt.
The undefeated Turkish star took a giant step toward that goal in his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 23 inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium, scoring a big win over former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Ok Rae Yoon in the evening's main event.
With the win, Rasulov is all but guaranteed a shot at the undisputed lightweight belt, currently held by reigning two-division champion Christian Lee.
Speaking with the South China Morning Post immediately following his victory, Alibeg Rasulov was asked about a potential rematch with Ok Rae Yoon after going the full five rounds. Rasulov quickly brushed aside that idea, making it clear that he was here for one thing only.
"Everything that I want is to only get the belt," Rasulov said. "So I want to fight with Christian Lee."
The victory moved Rasulov to 14-0 in his mixed martial arts career. More importantly, it has put him in a position to fight for 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold in just his second appearance with the promotion.
But after struggling with the scale ahead of his impressive debut, whether or not he gets that title shot remains to be seen.
Alibeg Rasulov gets the win, but doesn't take home the gold
24 hours before stepping inside the ring with Ok Rae Yoon, Alibeg Rasulov struggled to meet the weigh-in requirements—specifically, hydration.
Rasulov failed his hydration test. As a result, he was no longer eligible to win the interim ONE lightweight MMA world title that was to go to the victory. Despite that, the fight went on as scheduled with only Ok eligible to take home the temporary title.
With his loss, there is no interim champion, but there is clearly a new contender in the loaded lightweight division, and his name is Alibeg Rasulov.
Should Rasulov get the first shot at Christian Lee once he returns to action later this year, or should he have to get another win and prove he can safely make the weight first?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 23 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.