ONE Fight Night 44 MMA And Submission Grappling Results: Gabriel, Jones, Ghazaryan, Elliott Emerge Victorious

The MMA fighters and submission grapplers stole the show on the undercard of ONE Fight Night 44: Jarvis vs. Rungrawee II, which broadcast live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 26.

A Brazilian rising star kept his flawless promotional record intact, an Armenian bounced back from his first career loss with a statement victory, a leg lock specialist shocked the grappling world on his first night in ONE Championship, and a British finisher won in record time.

Here’s what happened in the MMA and submission grappling matches at ONE Fight Night 44: Jarvis vs. Rungrawee II.

Gabriel Earns Split Decision, Claims Biggest Win Of Career

Lucas Gabriel remained unbeaten in ONE, outworking Ok Rae Yoon by split decision in the lightweight MMA co-main event.

Ok, the former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion, kept the fight on its feet in the first round to avoid the Brazilian’s submission game, and for the most part, he succeeded. But that would soon change.

Gabriel came dangerously close to locking in a rear-naked choke in the second frame, forcing the South Korean to fight his way free. The 26-year-old Brazilian then found an even more threatening position, trapping his opponent inside a twister with his rival’s spine spiraling between his legs.

The third stanza went to the canvas, where Ok landed in half guard and worked with punches from the top. Gabriel scrambled back to his feet, bull rushed his adversary, and landed a single-leg takedown. The South Korean rose, but the Brazilian hung on, taking his back from the standing position and hunting for a rear-naked choke until the final bell.

That split-decision victory extended the Brazilian’s unbeaten run in the world’s largest martial arts organization. Now, with the biggest win of his career and a triumph over a former ONE World Champion, Gabriel nudged his record to 11-1 and could be next to challenge two-sport king Christian “The Warrior” Lee for his lightweight belt.

Jones Stuns With Split-Decision Victory In ONE Debut

Owen Jones announced his arrival to the world’s largest martial arts organization in style, handing Fabricio “Hokage” Andrey a split-decision loss and giving the Brazilian his first promotional defeat in the night’s sole grappling encounter. It was extra meaningful for the 21-year-old Brit, who avenged his loss to Andrey from three years ago.

The two featherweights jockeyed for position in the opening moments, but soon, they engaged in a leg lock battle, as they scrambled across the canvas in a tangle of dangerous submission attempts. Neither could lock in the fight-ending hold, and the first half of the 10-minute bout played out as a war of attrition.

Jones, who co-owns Apex Jiu-Jitsu Atlanta, found his opportunity in the second half of the match, securing a leg lock that warranted a catch from the referee and putting him ahead on the scorecards.

But Andrey, the BJJ World Champion from Alliance, fought back, hunted for a fight-ending armbar, and scored a catch of his own. Jones, however, brilliantly defended and escaped the seemingly tight hold.

After 10 minutes of action, two of the judges felt Jones was more aggressive and awarded him the split-decision victory. Not only did the Englishman improve his record to 17-6, but he also stopped Andrey’s ascent up the ranks and snapped his three-bout winning streak in the promotion.

Ghazaryan Bounces Back With Gritty First-Round Stoppage

Karen Ghazaryan rebounded from his first career loss in commanding fashion, spoiling the promotional debut of undefeated Japanese grappler Hisashi Ezaki and stopping him via TKO at the end of round one in their strawweight MMA clash.

The 25-year-old Armenian came out pummeling Ezaki with uppercuts in search of an early finish. The Alma Fight Gym product, however, shot for a takedown to neutralize the danger and once in the scramble, transitioned from submission attempt to submission attempt.

But Ghazaryan displayed excellent defense and pulled free of each one. He called his opponent back to his feet and began slamming fists into his face, doing serious damage before the opening stanza ended. The damage ultimately took a toll on Ezaki, who wasn’t able to answer the bell for round two and quit on the stool.

After falling in his own ONE debut two months ago, the Armenian earned his redemption, moved his professional record to 6-1, and showed the global fan base what he is truly capable of.

Elliott Maintains Perfect Finishing Rate With Six-Second KO

Paul “King of the North” Elliott kept his 100 percent finishing rate intact in the most exciting fashion, stopping American promotional newcomer and NCAA College Football Champion Regan Upshaw in just six seconds.

The two behemoths met in the center of the squared circle and once the opening bell rang, Elliott feinted with his jabs. Then, suddenly, the Brit launched his timber-like left leg into Upshaw’s head with full force. The American crumpled to the canvas, and Elliott pounced with a final hammerfist to seal the victory.

With the win, the 33-year-old Englishman improved his professional record to 8-2. Also, he tied Mario Satya Wirawan, Timofey Nastyukhin, and Capitan Petchyindee for the fastest knockout in ONE history.