South Korea’s Ok Rae Yoon is determined to reclaim his ONE lightweight world title against Christian Lee. But before he can rematch Lee, he first must earn the interim strap against the undefeated Russian fighter Alibeg Rasulov at ONE Fight Night 23 on Jul. 5.
Ok Rae Yoon vs. Alibeg Rasulov
Former ONE lightweight world champion Ok Rae Yoon will face Alibeg Rasulov for the interim world title in this main event bout. Ok has notable wins over current titleholder Christian Lee and former UFC Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez, thus earning the nickname “The Legend Killer.” Although he lost the belt, he bounced back by defeating Lowen Tynanes in May 2023. Ok is now one win away from securing the interim title and a trilogy match with Lee.
Before competing in MMA he was a martial arts expert having black belts in judo, wushu, and 4th-degree taekwondo. Ok made a significant impact on the global stage in 2021, proving he belongs among the world’s elite fighters. He dominated the Asian MMA scene with wins in China, Japan, and South Korea, earning lightweight titles in Double G FC and HEAT promotions before joining ONE Championship. Aside from his MMA career, he loves playing video games, especially League of Legends, Starcraft, and PUBG.
Alibeg Rasulov, undefeated in his eight-year MMA career with a 13-0 record and a 77% finishing rate, is making his debut on ONE’s global stage. Rasulov aims to prove he is the best lightweight mixed martial artist in the world. The fight at ONE Fight Night 23 will determine the interim champion and set the stage for a unification bout with Christian Lee.
Ok explained how he sees his Jul. 5 main event fight playing out, he explained:
“I think we are both going to do what we are good at. Alibeg is going to bring his Dagestani wrestling to try and take me down. I’m going to do my best to not get taken down and hit him with good shots. Or, Alibeg may have seen Christian’s success against me in our second fight and may want to switch up the gears and look to trade with me. I’m preparing for this too, in case. ONE allows for knees on the ground. So, if he comes in for the takedown, I’ll make sure he pays for it with my knees. Then I’ll hit him with my shots and get the KO.”
On potentially facing Christian Lee, Ok said:
“I really, really want to fight Christian Lee for a third time before I retire. I believe I must fight him before I call it a day. We’re 1-1 now, although our last fight ended in a complete defeat for me. Even then, we’re 1-1. I also don’t think there are many people you could consider to be the most obvious top contenders to his title, other than me and Alibeg”
Interim division gold will be battled for between Ok Rae Yoon and Alibeg Rasulov at ONE Fight Night 23 on Jul. 5 in ONE Championship.