ONE Fight Night 40 Results: Gabriel, Andrey, Jihin Dominate In Career-Defining Performances
ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II kicked off with explosive mixed martial arts and submission grappling action at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, February 13.
The opening stretch of the U.S. primetime event delivered dramatic finishes, brilliant technique, and back-and-forth wars that set the tone for the evening’s World Title showdowns.
A Malaysian grappler snapped a two-bout skid in spectacular fashion, an IBJJF World Champion dominated his compatriot in a long-awaited rematch, and two lightweight MMA contenders with identical 10-1 records collided in a grueling three-round battle.
Here’s what happened in the first three bouts of ONE Fight Night 40.
Gabriel Edges Akaev In Lightweight MMA Battle
Brazilian finisher Lucas Gabriel proved his well-rounded skills, as he outlasted Russian warrior Magomed Akaev in a grueling three-round battle to claim a unanimous decision victory.
The opening frame of the lightweight MMA affair started cautiously until the referee demanded action. Then, Akaev exploded with a spinning backfist that dropped the 26-year-old from Phuket Fight Club and jumped on him immediately with ground-and-pound. But Gabriel maintained his composure and hunted for a leg lock off his back to survive the assault.
Gabriel seized control in round two, scoring a takedown and immediately transitioning to submission mode. The Brazilian locked in a calf slicer that tested Akaev’s resolve – the 29-year-old Russian survived on grit alone. When that failed, the Phuket Fight Club product transitioned to his opponent’s back and secured a face crank, but Akaev’s toughness shone through as he refused to tap.
The final frame erupted into a stand-up war, as both fighters abandoned their grappling. Gabriel found success with left high kicks that repeatedly snapped the Russian’s head back, while the Black Dragon representative tried desperately to punch through the Brazilian’s guard.
In victory, Gabriel moved his record to 11-1 and positioned himself as a serious threat in the lightweight division.
Andrey Overwhelms Mendes In Long-Awaited Rematch
IBJJF World Champion Fabricio “Hokage” Andrey doubled down on his Brazilian compatriot Joao “Bisnaga” Mendes, as he frustrated the promotional newcomer with relentless submission attacks to claim a unanimous decision victory in their long-awaited rematch.
Andrey originally submitted his countryman in their 2021 battle, but he was unable to achieve the tap this time. Over the course of the 10-minute featherweight submission grappling contest, “Hokage” did the next best thing – dominate most of the exchanges from beginning to end.
The 25-year-old constantly applied pressure, searching for heel hooks and leg locks. In fact, he almost never gave Mendes, who won the IBJJF No-Gi World Title last year, a second to rest. But the 28-year-old “Bisnaga” showcased elite defensive awareness, escaping danger repeatedly and thwarting every finish attempt from his opposite number.
Mendes’ survival mode proved costly – his overly cautious approach left little room for his attacks, allowing Andrey to rack up submission attempts and earn points on the judges’ scorecards.
The aggressive, offensive-minded performance from Andrey stood in stark contrast to his compatriot’s defensive shell, making the decision a formality. “Hokage” improved his record to 106-27 and remains flawless in ONE Championship.
Jihin Spoils Fujimoto’s Birthday, Gets TKO Win
Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan returned to the win column in emphatic fashion. The Malaysian sensation finished undefeated promotional newcomer Gabriela Fujimoto via ground-and-pound at the 3:36 mark of the third stanza in their women’s atomweight MMA clash.
The 27-year-old Johor Bahru native set the tone early, as she tagged Fujimoto with crisp punches, stuffed a takedown, and then unloaded knees to her rival’s head. But the Brazilian, who turns 23 years old on this day, had moments of success. She used her BJJ expertise to reverse positions in a scramble and hunt for leg locks in the waning minutes of the opening frame.
This grappling chess match continued in the second stanza, as both fighters took the action to the canvas and fished for submissions. Neither competitor, however, came close to securing a finish.
Fujimoto came out aggressively in the final frame, swinging hard and fast, but the Malaysian answered with a takedown. After scrambling back and forth for position, Jihin secured the mount and unleashed a devastating barrage of punches and elbows that forced the referee to wave off the contest.
With the victory, Jihin improved her professional record to 10-5 and, in the process, handed Fujimoto her first career defeat and spoiled her big birthday celebration.
