Magomed Magomedov maintained his perfect fight record in his ONE Championship debut, earning a split-decision victory over Lucas Gabriel in their lightweight MMA matchup on ONE Fight Night 49.
Magomedov entered the main event at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday night with an unblemished 15-0 record, stepping in at short notice to replace the injured Alibeg Rasulov.
Gabriel, meanwhile, came in boasting an 11-1 record and an unbeaten run in ONE Championship. But once the opening bell rang, Magomedov wasted little time pursuing a takedown and managed to bring Gabriel to the canvas.
The second round followed a similar pattern, with Magomedov immediately pressing forward in an attempt to take the fight back to the mat.
This time, Gabriel fared better in the scrambles and managed to keep himself out of danger.
Back on their feet, the 26-year-old landed a head kick that prompted Magomedov to shoot for another takedown, although he was unable to complete it.
The third round took a dramatic turn, with Magomedov initially securing another takedown and smothering Gabriel on the ground. However, the Brazilian managed to reverse the position during a scramble and unleashed a series of knees to his opponent in the closing stages of the contest.
Gabriel’s late rally ultimately proved insufficient to secure victory, with two of the ringside judges scoring the contest in favour of the still-undefeated Magomedov.
The 31-year-old standout could now find himself in contention for a shot at the ONE lightweight MMA world title.
That opportunity could come against newly-crowned champion Tye Ruotolo, who claimed the belt by dethroning Christian Lee at The Inner Circle 37 just hours earlier.
