On November 3 at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video, promotional newcomer Magomed Abdulkadirov will square off with American phenom Tye Ruotolo for the inaugural ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title.
For the man from Dagestan, that U.S. primetime matchup will be his opportunity to establish himself as a global grappling superstar overnight.
But while he might not have the name recognition of his 20-year-old opponent, Abdulkadirov isn’t short on high-level accomplishments and elite talent.
Before he battles Ruotolo for 26 pounds of gold at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, here are five things to know about the upcoming World Title challenger.
#1 He’s A BJJ Black Belt
First and foremost, Abdulkadirov – like Ruotolo – is a black belt in the grappling art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
That skill set should serve him well in ONE’s submission grappling divisions, where BJJ experts have largely dominated athletes from other backgrounds, such as sambo and MMA.
#2 He’s A Two-Time UWW World Grappling Champion
The Russian is no stranger to top-flight competition.
Among his numerous accomplishments in the world of both gi and no-gi jiu-jitsu, perhaps his proudest accolades are a pair of UWW World Grappling Championships, proving that he’s among the planet’s most dangerous submission specialists.
#3 He’s A European ADCC Grappling Champion
Abdulkadirov’s remarkable accomplishments don’t stop there.
In 2015, he won gold at the ADCC European Trials. The performance earned him a highly coveted spot at that year’s ADCC World Championships – the most prestigious submission grappling tournament in the sport.
#4 He Trains With Elite Talent
The 32-year-old has spent his entire martial arts career surrounded by Russia’s most skilled and dangerous grapplers.
He currently trains and coaches at the world-renowned Universal Fighters, where he works with the likes of fellow ADCC World Championship veteran Abdulaev Ruslan and former ONE MMA standout Gadzhimurad Abdulaev.
Before that, Abdulkadirov trained alongside top Russian grapplers Abdurakhman Bilarov and Abduljalil Adilov.
#5 He’s A Well-Rounded Martial Artist
Finally, the Dagestani is an expert in much more than just BJJ.
After starting in taekwondo and judo as a child, he soon added freestyle wrestling and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu to his repertoire, giving him a unique set of skills that could give Ruotolo some surprises on November 3.
