There are plenty of contenders in ONE Championship’s stacked lightweight division who would love to challenge divisional king Christian “The Warrior” Lee now that he has reclaimed the divisional throne.

Lee scored a decisive victory in his rematch with Ok Rae Yoon at ONE 160 last month after suffering a controversial unanimous decision loss against the South Korean star last year. 

Christian Lee’s thoughts on Dagi Arslanaliev

With “The Warrior” now back atop the mountain, he, once again, has a target on his back. And one athlete that is taking aim is #2-ranked lightweight contender Dagi Arslanaliev.

Arslanaliev is an old foe who collided with Lee in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Championship Final in October 2019. He lost out on that occasion but recently stated that he wants a shot at Lee’s World Title.

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The Turkish star is on a five-fight win streak and is certainly deserving, and the lightweight king recognizes his talent. But he is also quick to remind the world of what happened last time they tussled.

“Dagi is a very tough competitor. He’s a finisher like me. He’s another talented, dangerous fighter. But, going into that [Grand Prix Championship Final] in Tokyo, I took the fight on less than ten days’ notice,” Lee said.

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The Singaporean-American dynamo put on a disciplined performance when they met, and he earned a unanimous decision win that pushed him to a fourth consecutive victory inside the Circle.

While he is open to giving Arslanaliev a rematch, he warns that the bout could go a very different way next time.

“If I had a full fight camp, I definitely would have finished him that night. And if we ever face [off] again, I feel that I will finish him,” Lee said.

Christian Lee suggests Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protégé vs. Dagi Arslanaliev

Instead of naming him as his next opponent outright, “The Warrior” suggests a different route to the top of the mountain for the Istanbul native – one that would give an up-and-coming star a stellar opportunity and the fans an epic showdown.

“But maybe one more fight for him would get him a title shot, too. He’s had one fight back – an impressive win over Timofey [Nastyhukin] – but he hasn’t been too active. Maybe you put [him against Izagakhmaev], and the winner of that will be ready for the title shot.”

As exciting as that hypothetical World Title eliminator match would be, it doesn’t look likely for some time.

Izagakhmaev, who dominated James Nakashima in his promotional debut, is currently preparing for his return to action at ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai on September 29. 

But should he score a second win inside the Circle, it will surely open up the stacked division to all types of battles for the top spot.

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