5 Things We Learned After An Explosive Night At ONE Fight Night 48
The world’s largest martial arts organization delivered another U.S. primetime spectacle on Friday, October 2, as ONE Fight Night 48: Erdogan vs. Elliott on Prime Video lit up Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium with eight bouts across MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling.
As the dust settled, an untouchable three-division force edged closer to the ultimate prize, while several contenders made moves that could shake up their divisional rankings.
From the opening-bout knockout to the main event submission, the action kept fans glued to their seats.
Here are five major takeaways from ONE Fight Night 48.
#1 Erdogan Is Destined For 26 Pounds Of Gold
Shamil Erdogan continues to leave a trail of wreckage across weight classes, and Paul “King of the North” Elliott became the latest casualty of his unbeaten run in the card’s finale.
The 36-year-old Turkish contender sealed the deal with a rear-naked choke in the second round, extending his spotless professional record to 14-0. He also kept his promotional finishing rate at 100 percent and pocketed another well-deserved US$50,000 performance bonus.
The finish marked his first submission in ONE Championship, a new wrinkle for a fighter known for heavy-handed striking and punishing ground-and-pound. What sets his dominance apart is how seamlessly it has carried across middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight – a rare feat previously achieved only by former three-division ONE MMA World Champion Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin.
With the Russian great now retired, a super-fight between the two former wrestling rivals may never come to pass. But with three divisions open for the taking, the Dagestan-bred star has positioned himself as the heir apparent to that throne.
At this rate, it is only a matter of time before Erdogan wraps 26 pounds of gold around his waist. The only question is which division crowns him first.
#2 Lessei’s Road Back To Carrillo Runs Through The Top 5
Luke “The Chef” Lessei keeps getting better, and his unanimous decision over Charlie Guest suggested his evolution as a striker has barely scratched the surface.
The Englishman gave Lessei a testy second round in the clinch, but “The Chef” adjusted in the third, using his jab and reach to keep Guest at bay and pull away on the scorecards.
That late surge has become a trademark. The longer a fight goes, the deeper the Iowa native slips into a flow state, which could prove valuable in five-round contests. His toughness has never been in question, and his defense is now catching up to his mesmerizing offensive repertoire.
Even in stoppage losses to Bampara Kouyate and reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion “King of the North” Nico Carrillo, the 30-year-old proved he belongs among the elite. Now, back-to-back wins over “The Eagle” Mohamed Younes Rabah and Guest have moved him to 10-3 and put the American on the doorstep of a stacked top five.
A rematch with #5-ranked Kouyate stands out as the natural next move, while clashes with #2-ranked Shadow Mavinn or #4-ranked Ricardo Bravo would also make for intriguing matchups. If “The Chef” topples any of those names, the road back to Carrillo opens up.
#3 Cesar Is Flyweight MMA’s Next Big Problem
A Brazilian wrecking ball has officially arrived on the global stage, shattering an undefeated record and turning heads in a stacked weight class.
Antonio “The Flash” Cesar stayed a step ahead in his flyweight MMA clash against Joshua “Flyin Hawaiian” Perreira, mixing takedowns, suffocating top pressure, and steady ground strikes. The damage forced the ringside doctor to wave off the bout after the opening round, handing Perreira the first loss of his career.
What stood out most was Cesar’s versatile arsenal. The Brazilian showed sharp striking and dangerous grappling, along with the high fight IQ to blend the two effortlessly.
The win extended his active streak to 10 and his record to 15-2. Combined with his short-notice debut victory over respected contender Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang, the result puts the 22-year-old on a fast track to contention.
With reigning ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Avazbek “Ninzya” Kholmirzaev atop the pecking order and former king Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu still lurking near the front of the queue, Cesar looms as a dangerous dark horse capable of blowing the title picture wide open.
#4 Gheirati And Esparza Are Back And Ready To Climb
Elsewhere on the card, two rising strikers answered recent adversity with resounding statements on the global stage.
Competing for the first time in a year after ACL surgery, Parham Gheirati dropped Nakrob Fairtex twice en route to a unanimous decision in the bantamweight Muay Thai co-main event. In the card’s opening bout, Arian “Destroyer” Esparza bounced back in style, stopping Sam Fitzgerald via first-round knockout.
Neither victory came easy. Gheirati weathered the fiery fists of a battle-tested veteran, while Esparza had to solve a towering foe whose height and length posed a constant threat on the outside.
As a result, both wins carry real weight in their promising careers. For Gheirati, the victory moves him closer to a top-five opponent in one of the deepest striking divisions on the planet.
As for Esparza, his work with legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach is paying off. Having learned from his stoppage loss to PTT Apichart Farm, “Destroyer” now has the momentum to make a sustained run.
#5 Gritty Battles Can Forge Real Contenders
Elbrus “The Samurai” Osmanov, Ruan Alvarenga, and Yu Yau Pui were all tested in the Thai capital. None of them broke.
The Osmanov family had plenty to celebrate this weekend. First, younger brother Dzhamil “Curly Ninja” Osmanov secured a life-changing US$100,000 ONE main roster contract at The Inner Circle 33. Then “The Samurai” kept the good times rolling with a split decision over ONE newcomer Yi Yuxuan in his kickboxing return.
Yi dragged him into a gritty war, but after a run of knockouts, the Dagestani proved he can adjust on the fly and grind out a win. The victory extended his streak to four and moved him to 16-1 overall.
Alvarenga, meanwhile, looked even sharper in his sophomore outing. Shoya Ishiguro gave him problems and threatened with a deep leg lock, but the Brazilian stayed composed under fire to edge out the decision. That makes him an intriguing force in featherweight submission grappling, where matchups against the likes of Fabricio “Hokage” Andrey or Owen Jones could await.
Finally, Yu has endured an up-and-down tenure in the women’s atomweight Muay Thai ranks, but her losses have come against the division’s elite, and she always returns stronger. The Hong Kong native’s decision win over former ONE World Title challenger Marie McManamon saw her defend her #5 ranking and push her record to 30-5.
