Saygid looks forward to world grand prix final against a legend

SAYGID 'Dagi' Guseyn Arslanaliev is one of the hardest hitters in ONE Championship’s lightweight division, and he needs to put on a career-defining performance at ONE: CENTURY PART I in Tokyo, Japan.

The Azerbaijan No Gi Grappling Champion describes his clash against Eddie 'The Underground King' Alvarez as a special moment, and he hopes that both of them give the fans an unforgettable battle inside the Ryogoku Kokugikan on Sunday, 13 October.

“I hope it will be one of the most spectacular shows I have ever been a part of. The ONE production team can put on some great shows, so I hope this one will be real fireworks,” the 24-year-old athlete described ahead of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Championship Final.

“I am following the media build-up of our fight, and it makes me a bit nervous. But mostly, it puts me in the right mood. I can’t wait for the big day to come. I want to fight.”

Though he admits that he feels the nerves, fans know that they can always expect a highlight-reel performance from the Turkish grappler.

Arslanaliev needed only 25 seconds to eliminate Malaysia’s Ev Ting from the Grand Prix in the quarterfinals.

In the Grand Prix semifinals at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON in May, he became the first man to knockout Singapore’s Amir Khan.

With the aim to best those two performances, the man from Istanbul returned to Dagestan, the place that brings out the best version of himself.

“This time, I am getting ready in my homeland, in Dagestan [in Russia], where I have the support of my close friends,” he said. “I feel more focused here.”

“When I’m in Dagestan, I feel calmer. I feel more grounded. Maybe this is that place of power for me. I feel no stress. I train and I ride horses in my spare time,” he added.

Will it be another quick night out for the hard-hitting Turkish star, or will Alvarez achieve his own martial arts dream in Tokyo, Japan?

Find out on 13 October by downloading the ONE Super App.

With 28 World Champions featured across various martial arts, ONE: CENTURY will be the single biggest World Championship martial arts event in history. No organization has ever attempted to throw a double-header spectacle of this sort.