Alibeg Rasulov Takes Aim At Lightweight Crown After Victorious Debut At ONE Fight Night 23

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Lightweight MMA star Alibeg Rasulov is nothing if not a perfectionist. That's why he sits with a boastful record of 14-0. But despite scoring a victory in his ONE Championship debut this past weekend at ONE Fight Night 23, Rasulov insists the affair was just the tip of the iceberg.

The Turkish tussler defeated former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Ok Rae Yoon by unanimous decision after 25 minutes of action this past Saturday, 6 July, inside Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Making your debut on a mainstage like ONE Championship is a big deal for any fighter. It's even bigger making your first appearance in the main event against an established name. So with the dust now settled, Rasulov promises to be even better next time.

"First of all, I want to say thank you to ONE Championship. It's my first time in ONE, and it was such a [good] fight for the first time. I went five rounds," Rasulov said.

"It was a pretty difficult fight. I'm really happy to have won. My opponent was strong, but still, I won. But I will say that I can do much better."

ONE Fight Night 23 may have been Rasulov's inaugural MMA outing in ONE Championship, but the unanimous decision win has placed him as the top contender in the lightweight bracket.

That means Rasulov has all eyes on the ONE Lightweight MMA World Championship belonging to Christian Lee. But the 31-year-old pays no mind to the person wearing the crown. They're just a body to him. All of his focus is instead centered on taking the belt as soon as possible.

"It's not about Christian Lee. It's all about the belt. I'm going to face anyone who holds the belt, and I'm going to get the belt," Rasulov said.

"I'm not injured, I feel pretty good. I didn't take a lot of damage, so I'm going to be ready for the fight if there's a fight."