The Top 5 Victories From ONE Championship’s Dagestani Stars

Russia has always been respected for producing world-class athletes, but the Republic of Dagestan – which is located in the North Caucasus region of the country – has proven to be a fertile breeding ground for the nation’s combat sports warriors.

Dagestan is home to many Olympic wrestling champions, Muay Thai competitors, and mixed martial artists, and several of them have tasted success on the global stage in ONE Championship.

However, there are five specific Dagestani athletes who continue to thrive in The Home Of Martial Arts. Here are their best performances yet.

Ramazanov Knocks Down Topic Three Times

Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov delivered a flawless performance at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD.

The Dagestan-bred athlete squared off against Ognjen Topic inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, and he floored the Serbian-American striker three times in a single round to register one of the finest TKO victories of his career.

Ramazanov controlled the pace of the Muay Thai bantamweight contest and used his length to dictate the action. He scored early with the teep and masterfully used the technique to set-up fakes and other attacks.

A teep to the face, followed by a pair of right hands, put Topic on the canvas for the first knockdown of the opening round. “Babyface Killer” then faked the teep, switched to the southpaw stance once he put his foot down, and dropped the Serbian-American to the mat with a left cross.

As soon as Topic got up, the Dagestani striker closed the show. He marched forward, switched stances once more, and connected with a step-in straight right to knock his rival down for the third and final time.

Yusupov Shuts Down “The Boxing Computer”

Jamal “Kherow” Yusupov made the most of a short-notice opportunity in November 2019.

On just 10 days’ notice, he accepted a bout with Thai legend “The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex at ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS in Beijing, China. Despite the lack of time to prepare, the Dagestan-born fighter elevated his profile that night in the Cadillac Arena with a sensational knockout.

The first round of the Muay Thai catch weight encounter was quite competitive, but “Kherow” flipped the script in the second frame.

Yodsanklai tried to walk down the Dagestani southpaw, but Yusupov stunned him with a clean left cross. That strike put the Thai legend on wobbly legs, and “Kherow” immediately followed up with hammering left hands. It seemed as though “The Boxing Computer” had recovered when he caught his opponent’s kick, but Yusupov’s follow-up cross dropped him to the mat.

The Thai icon answered the referee’s standing eight-count, but he was on borrowed time. “Kherow” walked forward and immediately put the pressure on his legendary foe. Yusupov backed Yodsanklai up with a few jab-cross combinations, and then he connected with a left hook, jab, and cross to put “The Boxing Computer” down for good.

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Arslanaliev Stuns Nastyukhin With First-Round KO

Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev had been a rising star in the lightweight division for years, but he experienced his breakthrough moment at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES in September 2018.

The explosive youngster went toe-to-toe with his compatriot, Russian knockout artist Timofey Nastyukhin, inside the Jakarta Convention Center in the Indonesian capital and pulled off a shocking upset in highlight-reel fashion.

Arslanaliev looked uncharacteristically tentative in the early going. When he threw a leg kick to measure the distance merely 20 seconds into the contest, Nastyukhin replied with a massive overhand right, which partially connected and caused the off-balanced “Dagi” to stumble to the ground.

Though Arslanaliev immediately returned to his feet, the Russian lightweight continued to get the better of the initial exchanges. He connected with clean right hooks and nearly floored “Dagi” with a jab-cross.

Soon, “Dagi” switched up his game plan. He charged at his countryman for a takedown attempt, grabbed a single-leg, and backed him against the Circle Wall. Nastyukhin tried to defend, but Arslanaliev held onto the left leg and kicked out his right one.

As Nastyukhin worked back to his stance, he posted his right arm up against the mat and left his face exposed. Recognizing that, “Dagi” continued to hold onto the left leg and threw hooking uppercuts with his free hand. Those shots stunned the Russian powerhouse, and Arslanaliev fired rapid left and right hooks until the referee waved off the action.

The “Maestro’s” Trademark Submission Win

Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev produced one of the most dazzling submission victories in ONE history.

At ONE: STATE OF WARRIORS in October 2016, the Dagestani bantamweight used his world-class grappling and veteran expertise to completely overwhelm his Australian rival, Jordan “Showtime” Lucas, at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

Saadulaev battered his opponent’s inside lead leg in the first half of the opening stanza, and then he dropped him with a picture-perfect jab-cross combination. “Maestro” immediately jumped on Lucas, worked towards favorable positions, and eventually scooted him back to the Circle Wall.

That is when the magic happened.

The Dagestani passed through Lucas’ guard and advanced to side control. As “Showtime” attempted to escape, Saadulaev clasped his arms around the Aussie’s neck, walked up the Circle Wall, and then flipped over his opponent’s body to sink in a modified rear-naked choke.

“Maestro” dug his shoulder behind Lucas’ neck and leaned forward to apply more pressure, forcing “Showtime” to submit to the airtight choke with only seconds remaining in the first round.

Gafurov Quickly Submits His Longtime Rival

It took four rounds for Marat “Cobra” Gafurov to submit Mongolian legend Narantungalag “Tungaa” Jadambaa via rear-naked choke and become the undisputed ONE Featherweight World Champion in November 2015.

Just one year later, the Dagestani grappler put his crown on the line in a rematch at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium and repeated the feat – except this time, he accomplished it in a single round.

The two exchanged kicks early in the contest, and Jadambaa even launched a few colossal overhand rights in hopes of landing the bout-ending punch.

However, the complexion of the match changed 80 seconds into the clash when the Mongolian threw an outside leg kick. At the same exact time, “Cobra” fired an inside leg kick, which tripped up the legend and put him on the canvas.

Gafurov immediately jumped on his longtime rival and when “Tungaa” tried to sweep, the Dagestani took his back and went for his signature rear-naked choke. Jadambaa was able to defend, but “Cobra” maneuvered his way to full mount and unloaded his strikes.

Eventually, the Mongolian turned away to avoid the damage. The reigning World Champion then took his back, locked in the rear-naked choke, and put Jadambaa to sleep with nine seconds remaining in the stanza.

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