Magomed Magomedov stayed flawless in his first ONE Championship bout, earning a split-decision victory over Lucas Gabriel in a lightweight MMA contest that headlined ONE Fight Night 49. That showcase aired live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, November 6.
The matchup, a BJJ black belt’s craftiness with Muay Thai expertise against a Dagestani’s wrestling pedigree, carried real World Title implications.
Photo Credit: ONE Championship
Magomedov, who entered the main event at 15-0 and finished his last five opponents, stepped in on short notice for the injured Alibeg Rasulov and had vowed to impose his pace on the biggest stage of his career.
Advertisement
Gabriel, who had claimed to have an advantage in every area, boasted an 11-1 (1 NC) record and was unbeaten in ONE Championship. The Brazilian was also coming off a June victory over former divisional king Ok Rae Yoon, so he arrived at the ring with his confidence at an all-time high.
Once the opening bell rang, Magomedov did not waste any time going for the takedown. After absorbing some punches on the feet, he pinned the Brazilian to the canvas and, once inside the guard, used ground-and-pound to soften him up. The Dagestan-born fighter dug his face into his opponent’s chest to grind him down, probing for submissions whenever the scrambles opened up.
Photo Credit: ONE Championship
Round two began the same way, with Magomedov shooting in like a missile to drag the action back to the mat.
Advertisement
This time, the proud father fared better in the scrambles and kept himself out of danger, though untangling from the Dagestani’s grips cost him plenty of energy. Back on the feet, the 26-year-old landed a head kick that sent Magomedov shooting for another takedown he could not complete.
The third round was turned on its head. Magomedov took his man down and smothered him on the ground, but as the Brazilian fought to stand, he forced his undefeated rival to the canvas in the scramble, held his head there, and pummeled him with knees.
Ultimately, it was not enough to seal the win. Two of the ringside judges ruled in favor of the unbeaten promotional newcomer, handing Gabriel his first loss in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Advertisement
Magomedov moved to 16-0 in a debut that capped a rise backed by family. Now, the 31-year-old standout could possibly get the next crack at ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Tye Ruotolo, who just won the belt by dethroning Christian Lee at The Inner Circle 37 several hours earlier.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
