Strikeforce's Adlan Amagov admittedly a bit starstruck by veteran opponent

Adlan Amagov can officially pinch himself.

The 25-year-old is fighting in America, in the co-main event of a major promotion, against a guy he was just watching on TV.

"I'm very happy I'm actually fighting Robbie Lawler," Amagov told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I think that's a great opportunity for me, and I want to thank Strikeforce for this opportunity."

Strikeforce Challengers vet Amagov (9-1-1 MMA, 2-0 SF) meets Lawler (18-8 MMA, 2-4 SF) in the co-main draw of "Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine," which takes place Saturday at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The event's main card airs live on Showtime while preliminary-card bouts air on Showtime Extreme.

It's been just six months since Amagov stepped into the Strikeforce cage as another prospect fighting for a ticket to the promotion's bigger events. A decision win over Ronald Stallings didn't do much to elevate his stock, but a quick knockout of Anthony Smith four months later perked up some ears.

Now, he's fighting longtime veteran Lawler in a co-main event. It's quite a turnaround for the native Chechnyan, whose tumultuous childhood was recently profiled in MMAjunkie.com's "Fight Path" series.

"(My manager) says to me there's no point (in competing) unless you fight somebody really good, unless you fight guys with big names," Amagov said. "Otherwise, it's pointless. So I'm really happy and grateful."

Amagov won't say Lawler was his favorite fighter while moving up the ranks on the international circuit, but he was shocked when asked if he'd accept the Jan. 7 booking.

"I wasn't a huge fan of him, but I always followed him," Amagov said. "My coach called me, and when he told me, I couldn't believe it. I was just watching the guy on TV, and now I have to fight him."

The bout could be Lawler's last chance to pull himself out of a recent slump. The hard-slugging veteran is 1-4 in his four most recent outings and has lost much of the luster of his days as a champion in the now-defunct EliteXC.

Amagov, who's notched six of his nine professional wins by TKO or KO, appears tailor-made for Lawler's striking game. But he's not necessarily anticipating an all-out brawl; his first and only loss came when he went out looking for the KO and woke up after being choked out.

"In a fight, anything could happen," he said. "Of course, just like any other fighter, I would love to finish the fight with a submission or the knockout. We'll see what happens."

A win would undoubtedly do huge things for his career, or provide Lawler with a win he desperately needs. Either way, Amagov is grateful for the chance to prove himself against top talent.

"I think I'm ready for this fight, even though there's no fighter that doesn't have butterflies here and there," he said. "I see this more as a good opportunity more than anything else ... to prove that I can be one of the greatest."

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