ONE Fight Night 49: Gabriel vs. Magomedov went down live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, November 6, and the card’s MMA and submission grappling action kept the energy high from beginning to end.
A heavyweight grappling trilogy between a pair of World Champions was settled in a flash, ending a rivalry nearly a decade in the making.
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Plus, two undefeated debutants squared off in a grinding bantamweight clash with a perfect record on the line, while an unbeaten rising star went the distance in a tightly contested atomweight chess match. Finally, a strawweight clash that opened with a grappling scare ended in a choke and could lead to a World Title opportunity.
Here’s what happened in the MMA and submission grappling matches at ONE Fight Night 49.
Lee Sinks In Rear-Naked Choke To Submit Lalthazuala
“The Flash” Lee Seung Cheol may have just earned a crack at the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title. The South Korean handed Nazareth “The Northstar” Lalthazuala his first career loss, as he submitted the Indian phenom via rear-naked choke in the second round of a match that was filled with plot twists.
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Most of the opening frame was spent on the canvas, with Lalthazuala hunting for submissions and even getting close to securing a choke. The Indian MMA star looked like he’d be gliding toward an easy win. But Lee weathered the storm, and he returned more determined in the second stanza.
The 27-year-old South Korean had his opponent trapped against the ropes and rained down ground-and-pound. Lalthazuala threw up-kicks until he could create enough space to stand, but the two soon went back to the mat and battled for position. Lee won that battle, as he took the back of the 25-year-old and sunk in the choke for the tap at the 3:04 mark of round two.
That submission win moved Lee’s record to 14-1, put him on a 14-bout winning streak, and inched him closer to a shot at ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio, who will defend his belt at ONE SAMURAI 5 on November 18.
Czaban Edges Souza In Close Battle, Remains Undefeated
Photo Credit: ONE Championship
Polish star Magdalena “The Powerpuff Girl” Czaban outpointed Brazilian rival Vick Souza over three tightly contested rounds to take a unanimous decision victory in their atomweight MMA clash and keep her unblemished professional record intact.
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Once the opening bell sounded, Souza hunted her opponent’s legs with low kicks. However, the 27-year-old Polish fighter responded with a variety of punches and kicks. Soon, the 29-year-old Brazilian hit a takedown, pinned “The Powerpuff Girl” to the canvas, and searched for the finish.
Czaban stayed on the outside in round two, pelting the Brazilian with combinations. Souza fired back with counters, and the two battled neck and neck. The third and final frame was another back-and-forth affair, as “The Powerpuff Girl” stung her foe with jabs and the Brazilian continued to throw inside low kicks.
In the end, all three judges gave the nod to Czaban, who registered her second straight win in ONE Championship, moved her record to 6-0, and took another step forward on the path toward becoming Poland’s first ONE World Champion.
Hugo Submits Johnson In Trilogy
Seven-time BJJ World Champion Victor Hugo waited nearly a decade to face American rival, former IBJJF No-Gi World Champion Devhonte Johnson, in a trilogy match and settle their unfinished business. At ONE Fight Night 49, the Brazilian finally got his wish and made the most of the opportunity.
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A foot sweep set up the finish, as Hugo submitted his longtime adversary via rear-naked choke at the 1:35 mark of their openweight submission grappling contest.
Hugo – the reigning ADCC World Champion – used the sweep to put Johnson on the canvas and quickly took his back. The two promotional newcomers then waged a hand-fighting battle for control, until the 29-year-old Brazilian locked in the choke and cranked down on the jaw of the 32-year-old American, who was forced to tap.
The victory broke a 1-1 tie in a rivalry that began in their purple belt days, when Hugo took the first meeting at the 2016 IBJJF Worlds and Johnson won the rematch at the 2017 Europeans. The Brazilian waited nine years for a third encounter, and he won so emphatically in a bout that could help usher in ONE Championship’s heavyweight submission grappling division. It also moved his record to 101-23.
Israilov Stays Perfect With Hard-Fought Win Over Tabarov
Photo Credit: ONE Championship
French rising star Ilmadi Israilov kept his spotless record alive in the opening bout of the night, as he claimed a unanimous decision victory over Tajik sensation Kalandar Tabarov in a bantamweight MMA clash between two more undefeated promotional newcomers.
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Israilov spent the better part of the battle hunting for the single-leg takedown, while his 27-year-old foe stuffed shots and fought out of scrambles. The 23-year-old Frenchman landed the takedown on several occasions and tried to pummel his opponent with ground-and-pound, but Tabarov defended the attacks well.
An accidental kick to the face of the grounded Tajik cost Israilov a yellow card, though it did little to slow him down. By the final bell, he was right back on the offensive, pinning his opponent to the canvas and searching for a finish with ground-and-pound.
The judges were unanimous in their scoring, and the victory moved Israilov’s career record to 10-0 in his ONE Championship debut.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
