My style is same as that of Khabib and Islam, says Saygid Izagakhmaev

05 January 2022

Saygid Izagakhmaev is all set to make his ONE Championship debut at ONE: Heavy Hitters when he fights James Nakashima. Hailing from Dagestan, Saygid Izagakhmaev will be cornered by none other than Khabib Nurmagomedov for the fight and the hype is at an all-time high.

“Dagestan fighters are different because we have a habit of fighting, wrestling, and competing – competitive spirit is inherent to us. I’ve already watched all of the top 10 fighters in the division. I think the toughest of them all is James Nakashima, and I will try to approach this fight in my peak form,” Saygid said in an interview with ONE Championship.

He further went on to add that his style is similar to that of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

“My style is the same as my elder brothers: Khabib, Islam Makhachev, and many other guys from our gym. It is wrestling and binding to the opponent. I grew up in front of Khabib. We receive a lot of instructions from him as our elder brother. We are always in touch. He controls our workout routine, and we plan to fly together to my fight in Singapore, Inshallah. Of course, when you have such a phenomenal fighter and athlete as Khabib in your corner – who [retired with] zero losses, who knows fighting better than anybody – if I make a mistake, he will help me out quickly and give me a hint when to press, when to engage, and when to retreat,” he added.

ALSO READ | Saygid Izagakhmaev, teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov joins ONE Championship

Saygid currently holds a professional record of 19-2 to his name and is currently on a two-fight winning streak. Nakashima, on the other hand, is 12-2 in his professional MMA career and is coming off two losses.

What are your thoughts on the fight between Saygid and Nakashima? Let us know your predictions in the comment section of the article below.

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