Saygid Izagakhmaev eyes Ok Rae Yoon and Eddie Alvarez after James Nakashima battle

Saygid Izagakhmaev is confident he will have no problem getting past James Nakashima at ONE: Heavy Hitters.

Once he has completed his task of taking out the former ONE welterweight world title challenger at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, January 14, the Russian grappling sensation has two big names in mind. They are lightweight king Ok Rae Yoon and former UFC and Bellator world champion Eddie ‘The Underground King’ Alvarez.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Saygid Izagakhmaev shared:

“I want to tell my future opponents: be ready. Be ready for wrestling, for stand-up, [it makes] no difference. After I am past James Nakashima, I will approach more top fighters, such as Ok Rae Yoon and Eddie Alvarez.”

South Korea’s Ok Rae Yoon is the division champion and there are plenty of contenders separating Saygid Izagakhmaev from the top of the charts. He is fully aware that he will need to cross paths with names like Christian Lee, Shinya Aoki, Iuri Lapicus and Dagi Arslanaliev at some point.

A battle against Alvarez would be appealing, too, given the American’s status as a four-time MMA world champion. Alvarez has endured a tough period in ONE so far, with only one win in four fights.

Even if he does not get a date against Alvarez or any of the names mentioned above, Saygid Izagakhmaev is willing to take on anyone. That's as long as it helps him get one step closer toward his ambition of lifting the ONE gold.

Saygid Izagakhmaev told ONE:

“My goal in ONE Championship is to become the world champion. If I didn’t have this goal in mind, I wouldn’t fight. I want to be a champion, and Inshallah, with the Lord’s help, I will become a champion.”

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What can fans expect from Saygid Izagakhmaev in his ONE debut?

Saygid Izagakhmaev's debut in the Circle will be his 22nd professional fight in his 10-year professional MMA career. The 27-year-old owns a 19-2 record, with 12 of his triumphs coming by way of submission.

He will be up against a dangerous wrestler in the form of James Nakashima at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. If he can deploy his usual style to perfection, he should easily leave the global stage with a memorable first outing.

Wrestling is his top offensive attribute, but similar to his training partner and close friend Khabib Nurmagomedov, he is known to be able to drain an opponent's stamina from bell to bell via grappling or strikes from top mount. This should be something he must work on, given Nakashima’s incredible knowledge on the canvas.