James Nakashima and Saygid Izagakhmaev to test the “strongest” wrestling style

James Nakashima will welcome Saygid Izagakhmaev to ONE Championship when they meet at ONE: Heavy Hitters on Friday, January 14. The bout will feature a battle between two fighters with backgrounds in some of the best wrestling styles in the world.

In a pre-fight interview with ONE Championship, Izagakhmaev felt that his style of wrestling was superior:

“Dagestan wrestling [has] proven that it’s one of the best in the world and among the leaders, if you look at the Olympics as well. Dagestanis are at the top and number one. There are exceptions but I believe that Dagestani wrestling is very strong.”

Izagakhmaev trains under MMA great Khabib Nurmagomedov and will have had the opportunity to test himself against some of the best wrestlers in the region.

Meanwhile, Nakashima recognizes the skill of the Russians but has supreme confidence in his own style of wrestling. During his interview with ONE Championship, Nakashima said:

“I believe in the American wrestler but the Russians are right there too. I believe in myself, otherwise, I don’t think you belong in this game if you don’t believe in yourself. American wrestling, Russian, combat sambo, I don’t know anybody who thinks about that stuff. I believe in myself, I believe in American wrestling and I’m excited.”

James Nakashima started wrestling at the age of seven and grew better at the sport, which later led him to the University of Nebraska’s wrestling team.

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James Nakashima and Saygid Izagakhmaev brace for an unpredictable outcome

Wrestling is a key weapon for both James Nakashima and Saygid Izagakhmaev. However, the two fighters are also well-versed in other aspects of mixed martial arts.

As such, Nakashima couldn’t offer a clear prediction on how their fight would turn out. The American expressed that the bout could be a grind and decided by fine margins:

“I think it’s going to be a fight of inches. I think it’s going to be a war of attrition and I just think that there are going to be really important moments. That’s about it, we’ll see. I can’t really get into that stuff. I’m not a soothsayer or somebody who can predict the future. I’m just excited to perform, man. It’s been a good year, I’m prepared, I’m ready to go.”

Izagakhmaev echoed his opponent’s sentiments and is focused on getting the job done instead of predicting its outcome:

“No specific predictions. As I told like during the fight, we will be wrestling, we will be striking so everything will depend on the fight so we’ll see on the fight.”