5 reasons why Saygid Izagakhmaev might be the next big thing in ONE Championship
ONE Championship newcomer Saygid Izagakhmaev is gaining some hype ahead of his debut in ONE: Heavy Hitters this January 14. The hype surrounding the Dagestani is largely motivated by his affiliation with former UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In most of his recent fights, Izagakhmaev has had 'The Eagle' in his corner, guiding him to victory. Starting their martial arts journeys in the same gym in Dagestan, it's no surprise that the two see each other as brothers.
Now that Izagakhmaev is set to enter the world stage at ONE: Heavy Hitters, we'll see the legendary Nurmagomedov inside the embattled ONE circle for the first time. Standing as Izagakhmaev's cornermen for all his fights inside the circle, Nurmagomedov's team's influence will surely be felt by ONE Championship's roster.
With that said, Izagakhmaev's entrance to ONE's lightweight ranks might shake up the division in a major way. Today we list down 5 reasons why the Dagestani newcomer might become the next big thing in ONE's lightweight division.
#5. ONE Championship has not seen a wrestler of Izagakhmaev's caliber
It has been said that the Caucasus regions of Russia have perhaps the best wrestling programs in the world. The famous mountain range has been a hotbed of wrestling for many years and has produced many world champions. Perhaps it's the high elevation or the culture with which people live that makes such hardened warriors.
With Dagestan being situated smack in the rough, northern Caucasus region of Russia, it's no surprise that its athletes are mostly wrestling prodigies. Izagakhmaev, just like Nurmagomedov, was basically born with wrestling shoes on in one of the hardest terrains known to man.
The Dagestani style of grappling, as exemplified famously by Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, is perhaps the greatest iteration of wrestling for MMA. Dealing with their unstoppable chain wrestling is like stopping waves and waves of a tsunami.
When the fight hits the canvas, the Dagestani grapplers' top game has the weight of the entire Caucasus mountains pressing down on their opponents. It's quite impossible to shake them off once they get their momentum going.
Come ONE Championship: Heavy Hitters, we might see Izagakhmaev utilize the same MMA wrestling as his mentor Nurmagomedov. That's a scary thought for the rest of the division.