Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev and Aslamjon “El Pantera” Ortikov have carved through every opponent at flyweight without a hitch. But one of them will finally meet their match in the main event of The Inner Circle 20 on Friday, June 26.
The undefeated knockout artists collide for the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title inside the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The subscriber-only Asia primetime showcase streams live at live.onefc.com.
Combined, the young guns are a perfect 36-0 with 22 finishes – 12 of those highlight-reel triumphs earned on the global stage of ONE Championship. When two fighters of their caliber collide, the result is rarely anything less than unforgettable.
Here are four keys to victory in this must-watch World Title war.
#1 Imangazaliev’s Frightening KO Power
Seven knockouts from eight appearances inside the squared circle do not arrive by accident. That number certainly does tell a story, but it does not capture the full picture of what makes “The Dagestan Ninja” so genuinely terrifying to face.
The 22-year-old Russian does not have a single preferred knockout weapon. He has an entire arsenal of match-ending tools. From left and right hooks and straights that unload with no telegraphing to elbows and spinning attacks – all of it carries finishing-level power from both sides.
What makes the fighting pride of Team Mehdi Zatout and Team Chingiz Allazov particularly dangerous is the unpredictability of when and from where the finishing shot comes.
Opponents who think they have survived the darkest of waters have discovered that there is no truly safe moment when they have someone of his caliber waiting to destroy anything standing across from him.
Multi-time World Champions Nong-O Hama and Kongthoranee Sor Sommai found that out the hard way. He shut down the Thai duo in emphatic fashion earlier this year.
The power is real, the timing is elite, and the finishing instinct is among the sharpest today – so much so that Joe Rogan hails him as “the best striker alive.” Imangazaliev will be hunting for nothing less than another highlight-reel addition come The Inner Circle 20.
#2 Ortikov’s Merciless Kicking Game
Ortikov’s kicks are a complete tactical system that he deploys with precision and variety, which has roughened up every opponent on the global stage.
The teep down the middle is where it often starts. The 23-year-old uses it to control distance, disrupt rhythm, and send opponents backpedaling before they can establish their own attacking platform. This effectively takes away the base of anyone looking to build pressure from the outside.
Against a fighter of Imangazaliev’s stature and reach, that move becomes even more critical. By taking out his opponent’s base early, “El Pantera” can create space and angles to set up everything that follows, and everything that follows tends to hurt.
The left high kick that sent Petsukumvit Tomthungyai crashing to the canvas. The same shot that floored Pethuahin Jitmuangnon and left Chatanan Sor Jor Joyprajin staring at the Lumpinee ceiling at ONE Friday Fights 43.
Add axe kicks and spinning back kicks to the equation, and the TC Muaythai and Sport Club Shakhriyor warrior’s diverse kicking game becomes arguably the most dangerous in the division.
The moment Imangazaliev commits to closing the distance, his kicks will already be in motion. Ortikov doesn’t need an invitation. He’ll be ready to unleash them from the get-go when the bell rings.
#3 Imangazaliev’s Unforgiving Aggression
Imangazaliev does not wait for fights to come to him. He wants war every time the spotlight shines on him.
That pressure he brings from the opening bell has been a consistent feature of every performance across his perfect 8-0 promotional run. The Dagestani bruiser advances, cuts off space, and makes opponents feel the heat of his presence from the moment they step into the ring.
He deploys it behind slick and composed footwork, too, which allows him to move in and out of range with efficiency, change angles mid-combination, or reset his position without surrendering momentum.
It is the footwork that makes the aggression work. Those two combined deliver the knockout.
Where most pressure fighters telegraph their intent, the 22-year-old disguises his with a fluidity that makes the incoming storm look effortless right up until the moment it is not.
Imangazaliev has never needed to be pretty, nor has he needed to outpoint anyone. He just needs to walk his man down, find the opening, and do what he does better than almost anyone in the striking world right now: put opponents to sleep.
#4 Ortikov’s Blistering Punches
Ortikov’s kicks are well-documented, but they are only half of what makes him such a complete and devastating threat in the loaded flyweight Muay Thai division.
His hands are every bit as dangerous, and they arrive with blinding speed. The Uzbek throws punches in bunches – hooks, straights, and spinning backfists delivered in combinations that move so quickly they are sometimes difficult to track even in replay.
The speed is not just physical. “El Pantera” reads the rhythm of his opponent, finds the gaps in their guard, and unloads through them before the opening has had time to close.
Even when the knockout does not come, the cumulative effect of those combinations is brutal. Opponents feel the full wrath of his hands across all three rounds, and the damage tends to compound in ways that show up on scorecards and, eventually, on the canvas.
The kicking game sets the table. The combinations close the deal. When both are firing at full capacity, as they have been across an unblemished 24-0 career, Ortikov becomes an extraordinarily difficult fighter to survive.
Do not be surprised if the Uzbek wraps things up early to secure the divisional gold in the main event of The Inner Circle 20 on June 26.
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