‘I’m Ready’ – Magomed Magomedov Eyes Lightweight MMA Gold After Hard-Fought Win At ONE Fight Night 49
Undefeated Bahraini standout Magomed Magomedov turned in a night to remember in his ONE Championship debut, and the Dagestani-trained athlete could not be more pleased with how his maiden outing in the world’s largest martial arts organization played out.
The 31-year-old improved to a spotless 16-0 with a tough split-decision triumph over Brazilian star Lucas Gabriel in their lightweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 49 on Prime Video inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, which broadcast live on Friday, November 6.
Stepping onto the global stage in front of millions of fans around the world is a moment most athletes only dream about. But Magomedov did it in the main event of a stacked U.S. primetime card with an unbeaten record to protect.
He looked back on a memorable night with plenty to say.
Magomedov told onefc.com:
“I’m very happy that I got a chance to get a debut in ONE Championship. I was so happy that I got a debut with a very, very good fighter as well. He was very strong. He was on a series of wins. But I knew myself, I knew I could fight him, and I could win.”
Gabriel undoubtedly lived up to that high praise, but Magomedov’s suffocating pressure dictated the early tempo. He quickly turned the battle into a complex grappling puzzle, dragging his foe to the canvas and grinding away from top position through most of the opening frame. He continued hunting the takedown in round two, even as Gabriel frantically fought his way out of the grappling exchanges.
Round three featured a late surge from the Brazilian, who successfully reversed a scramble and landed heavy knees from top control. However, the late rally was not quite enough to sway the overall scorecards, as two of the three judges rightfully sided with the unbeaten newcomer.
Magomedov left the ring with his hand raised, though the split verdict gave him firm opinions on the scoring criteria.
He said:
“I had more positive moments than my opponent. I’m not very sure why I got the split decision, because I feel like the first two rounds were mine, and then maybe he got the last round only.
“[But] generally speaking, I think I got the win because of my pressure and dominance. I was pushing through, and I was trying to pressure my opponent and dominate him.”
Starting his promotional tenure with an important victory, however, did not stop Magomedov from taking a harsh, critical look at his own performance.
The KHK Dagestan representative is a deeply demanding judge of himself, and he laid out his honest verdict on his first global showing without any sugarcoating.
He added:
“I would probably rate my performance six – maybe seven points max [out of 10]. For me, it was a great chance to show myself and try to win, try to participate, but my opponent was very good. So about six [to] seven points.”
Magomedov Wants A Crack At The Crown
Despite feeling he could have executed better in his debut, the undefeated Magomed Magomedov firmly believes he did enough to force his way straight into the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title picture — and the timing couldn’t be better.
Just hours earlier at The Inner Circle 37, ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo completely shook up the division, submitting longtime titleholder Christian “The Warrior” Lee in round one to claim the lightweight MMA crown and formally establish himself as a two-sport ONE World Champion.
Magomedov knows exactly what that massive divisional shift opens up, and he is pulling absolutely no punches about where he believes he currently belongs.
He said:
“I think I totally deserve to be a contender for the belt. As far as you [can] see, if you watched my fight, I was doing very well, and I didn’t give a chance to my opponent. Although he was also a contender for the belt, I was able to [defeat] him.
“I’m ready to fight for the belt, and I think I’m a suitable contender.”
Any path to 170-pound gold now runs directly through Ruotolo, who has proven himself as arguably the best pound-for-pound grappler in the world today. Magomedov is certainly not backing away from the absolutely colossal challenge of potentially facing the young Californian.
He respects the newly minted king, but as elite as the American’s ground-game credentials are, Magomedov believes the relentless grappling craft forged in the unforgiving Dagestani mountains will give him the definitive edge.
The 31-year-old said:
“He is a good fighter, but I’m pretty sure that I will also be able to win over him. I already showed that Dagestani wrestling is better than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. So I’m ready to show him that it’s also better than American wrestling, American grappling.
“I don’t want to offend him, he’s a great fighter. But I know myself, and I’m ready to fight him. I’m pretty [sure I’m] much better than him.”
