Saygid Izagakhmaev aims to continue his perfect run in ONE Championship when he faces Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki at ONE 163: Akimoto vs. Petchtanong on Saturday, November 19, inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Dagestani fighter has earned back-to-back wins against former ONE Welterweight World Title challenger James Nakashima and Chinese star Zhang Lipeng since inking a deal with the Singapore-based promotion in October 2021, and now he’s preparing for his biggest test yet.

Izagakhmaev is acutely aware of the reputation his former ONE Lightweight World Champion opponent brings with him to the ONE Circle, and he knows how big a victory over him would be.

Saygid Izagakhmaev lauded Shinya Aoki’s achievements and legacy

“[This is a big fight because] he is a very well-known fighter. He has a name. He has his own following. He might be one of the most recognized fighters in the MMA world,” the Academy MMA fighter said.

“He’s a veteran of this sport and a former ONE World Champion, so a win over a fighter like Aoki will push me forward significantly. It will be a huge win for all our team.”

The Russian’s grappling has provided him a base to maneuver past a plethora of different opponents. But in Aoki, Izagakhmaev faces someone with the same amount of knowledge as he does on the canvas. 

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With that in mind, the #4-ranked lightweight contender feels he will have to attack Aoki with his ruthless striking – a department he believes will be the easier path to a win over the Japanese MMA icon.

Saygid Izagakhmaev gave a snippet of his approach toward the bout

“My plan is aggression. If he aggressively attacks, I will engage him just as aggressively. [The rest of the plan], I will show only in the fight,” Izagakhmaev said.

“I would like to finish this fight striking. I think it’s going to end this way. [My goal is] to win this fight ahead of time and shout from the ring: ‘[ONE CEO] Chatri, give me my US$50,000!’”

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But if that fails to have an effect, the 29-year-old dynamo will, undoubtedly, work on his dangerous groundwork and try to become only the fifth fighter to submit “Tobikan Judan” in the Circle.