Keanu Subba Hands Ahmed Mujtaba First Defeat In Battle Of Prospects

Two of Asia’s most promising young talents went head-to-head Friday night, as Malaysia’s Keanu Subba took on Pakistani grappler Ahmed “The Wolverine” Mujtaba in an exciting clash of two featherweight hopefuls.

The pair threw down on the main card of ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS on 10 February at a packed Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur.

Although Subba and Mujtaba entered the bout on equal footing, it was the Malaysian fighter who showcased a much more solid and complete skill set, impressing with takedowns and great defensive technique.

Mujtaba, feared for his tremendous grappling prowess, experienced difficulty in dealing with Subba’s strength, as the Malaysian transitioned from position to position seemingly with ease. Both fighters started out aggressively, but it was Subba who was able to showcase much better control as Mujtaba appeared out of his element.

Barely three minutes into the first round, Subba was able to latch on to a deep guillotine choke that forced Mujtaba to tap out. The end came officially at 2:56 of the first round, with Subba winning by highlight-reel submission.

With the victory, Subba improved his record to 5-2 while Mujtaba dropped to 6-1. The young Malaysian has now won two in a row, and will look for bigger opportunities in his next bout.

“I want to dedicate this fight to my good friend and training partner Casey Suire, this one is for you brother,” Subba said in the post-fight interview.

ONE Championship bantamweight Casey Suire, who trained alongside Subba in Bali, had perished in a freak motorcycle accident earlier in the week.