Dagi Arslanaliev

Saygid Guseyn “Dagi” Arslanaliev did not have it easy growing up, but he would go on to become a multiple-time champion in several disciplines. When he was just a toddler, his parents separated, and at the age of 5, he started living in a boarding school for combat sports athletes. There, he began to study a form of wushu.

When he was 14, Arslanaliev moved to Istanbul to live with his mother and began training at Corvos MMA, where he started studying under a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He went on to place on the podium at numerous BJJ tournaments around Europe, even earning the title of Azerbaijan Open BJJ Champion. In wushu, he is a former Russian and Armenian national champion, as well as a three-time champion in both Azerbaijan and Dagestan, showcasing his all-around skill set.

Arslanaliev made his official MMA debut in 2014, earning his first win via TKO in 50 seconds. He would continue to rip through his opponents, and he even knocked out former ONE Lightweight MMA World Title challenger Timofey Nastyukhin twice. In fact, his explosive rematch with the Russian striker was voted ONE’s 2021 MMA Fight of the Year.

Now approaching his prime, Arslanaliev could be a cornerstone in ONE Championship’s lightweight MMA division for years to come.