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Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to make an appearance in ONE Championship later this week.
'The Eagle' will be in the corner for Saygid Izagakhmaev's promotional debut this Friday, January 14. The match will take place at the ONE: Heavy Hitters event inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
For those not yet familiar with Izagakhmaev, Khabib has described how he will be performing inside the cage against James Nakashima.
It is no secret anymore that Izagakhmaev is fortunate enough to be mentored by a legendary fighter in the form Khabib Nurmagomedov. The two athletes grew up together and the similarities between their fighting styles are evident, according to the former UFC lightweight champion.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Khabib Nurmagomedov described Saygid Izagakhmaev, who will be competing in the lightweight division, as a taller version of himself.
"Saygid’s fighting style is very dangerous because he’s tall and he has a long reach with his legs and arms. He has very good elbow, good clinch and, of course, he’s very good on the ground; ground game and grappling, like all guys from our school."
The last time Izagakhmaev competed was in September 2021 during a cross promotion between the Eagle Fighting Championship and AMC Fight Night. The event was held to honor Khabib's late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
The former UFC champion was able to corner Izagakhmaev during that fight and witness him submit Maxim Butorin with a second-round rear-naked choke. Khabib Nurmagomedov was impressed with the result and sees a big improvement in Izagakhmaev's skills over the past year.
"When I watched how he was one year ago and right now, he’s completely different. And he’s only 27 years old and he keeps learning. I really believe and truly believe that with ONE Championship, he’s going to improve a lot. The next couple of years with ONE Championship is gonna be very interesting for him."
Khabib Nurmagomedov sees Saygid Izagakhmaev's hunger to win and competitive spirit
Saygid Izagakhmaev will be bringing his impressive 19-2 professional MMA record into his ONE Championship debut.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has witnessed his stablemate's growth and has seen him develop the hunger to win. The legendary fighter gave good advice to Izagakhmaev, telling him to treat every match as important as a title fight.
"I think it’s not only about the debut or your first fight in ONE Championship. I think about the fight. Always, every fight is important. If you wanna build yourself, if you wanna become champion, you have to win every fight. I know Saygid doesn’t like to lose. I know his heart. I know how hungry he is. It’s very important for him. It’s not only for him, but for our team too."
Catch Saygid Izagakhmaev's ONE Championship debut this Friday at ONE: Heavy Hitters.
