"I expect to be the next contender for the title if I win this fight" - Yusup Saadulaev believes he's closer than ever to ONE gold

A winner in eight of his last nine fights, Yusup Saadulaev is on an incredible run through ONE Championship’s bantamweight division. He believes he is in prime position to challenge for the world title.

At ONE: Winter Warriors II, the Russian veteran hopes to stamp his case as to why he deserves that chance, which has eluded him throughout his career. Yusup Saadulaev will face promotional debutant Stephen Loman at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in a pre-taped event which airs this Friday, December 17.

Discussing his hopes for the future, Yusup Saadulaev said in an interview with ONE Championship:

“I expect to be the next contender for the title if I win this fight. For sure.”

‘Maestro’ did not have much to say, but he hopes this short message will be enough to alert ONE about his intentions on the global stage.

The No.3-ranked bantamweight athlete has enjoyed plenty of success throughout his time on the global stage. Among some of Saadulaev’s most prominent wins in the promotion include an upset over ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes and a memorable triumph over Japanese heel hook legend Masakazu Imanari.

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At 36 years old, Yusup Saadulaev wants to prove that he can still compete at the very top

There might not be plenty of time left on Yusup Saadulaev’s side, given his age, but the 36-year-old wants to achieve his lifelong ambition of claiming MMA’s biggest prize.

Defeating a youngster like ‘The Sniper’ will prove to everyone that age is just a number.

However, beating the Team Lakay star is easier said than done. Yusup Saadulaev admitted that he does not see any weaknesses in his 26-year-old rival’s arsenal. However, he warned that he is going to stick to what he does best in this fight and that is his Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Speaking about his training camp for the five-time MMA champion, Yusup Saadulaev said:

“I didn’t add anything special for this fight. I was mastering my skills.”

Almost a decade ago, Yusup Saadulaev made his promotional debut against Loman’s Team Lakay stablemate Kevin Belingon at ONE: Rise Of Kings. The match ended in defeat for the Russian star.

Yusup Saadulaev is now hoping to turn the tide as he welcomes Belingon’s teammate, who will be making his promotional debut at ONE: Winter Warriors II.