Elbek Alyshov has spent his entire life preparing for a moment like this. The undefeated Azerbaijani-Russian challenger steps into the biggest fight of his career at The Inner Circle 24 on Friday, July 31.
He takes on reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu in the main event, live on live.onefc.com, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 27-year-old Team Chingiz Allazov product began his martial arts journey in judo and sambo. That foundation of grappling excellence has been the bedrock of a career that now stands at a perfect 10-0, with two victories since joining ONE Championship in 2025, both via submission. He arrives at this title shot as arguably the most credible unbeaten challenger the bantamweight division has seen in years.
Alyshov has studied the champion carefully and knows exactly what awaits him inside the Circle.
"In grappling, he is very dangerous with submissions. He looks for the finish until the very last second. He always takes the center. There has never been a fight in which he backed up. It has never happened," he said.
Yet for all the respect Alyshov carries for his foe's grappling, his confidence in his own wrestling is absolute. The challenger believes he brings a dimension to the mat game that sets him apart not just within ONE Championship, but across the entire sport.
"I believe that my wrestling is the best in MMA — not only in ONE Championship, but across all organizations. I also feel that I am well-rounded, and when it comes to wrestling in MMA, there is no one else like me," he explained.
Two submission specialists. Two fighters who have never taken a backward step. When Alyshov tries to find the words to describe what their collision on July 31 will look like, he reaches for something far bigger than a fight.
"It feels like something from an ancient Greek war. Our clash will be very interesting, like a battle between two strong men," he added.
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