Shamil Erdogan Finishes Paul Elliott In ONE Fight Night 48 Main Event To Remain Undefeated
Shamil Erdogan certified his status as the most dangerous man in ONE Championship’s heavyweight MMA division.
The Turkish contender was dominant in the main event of ONE Fight Night 48, which aired live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, October 2.
Erdogan ultimately submitted Paul Elliott via rear-naked choke at the 2:28 mark of the second round to extend his perfect record to 14-0 and state his case for a crack at the division’s vacant gold.
The stakes could not have been higher.
With a shot at the vacant ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title on the line as a potential reward, the undefeated Turkish destroyer faced the one man capable of matching his finishing instincts – a British titan who earned every one of his wins by stoppage and recently tied ONE Championship’s record for the fastest KO in history.
Erdogan, who was a member of both Russia and Turkey’s national wrestling teams, wasted no time asserting his will in the opening round. He took the fight to the canvas and spent the better part of five minutes grinding the Englishman down.
He barely let Elliott breathe, rag-dolling him around the ring and wearing him down with punches as the British powerhouse gasped for air and fought to escape the clutches of the Turkish wrecking ball.
Elliott cracked Erdogan early in round two with a right hand that shook the 36-year-old veteran. The Turk tried to engage on the feet, but he paid the price as the Brit spun into a kick.
Second-guessing his chances in the striking exchanges, Erdogan dragged his 34-year-old rival back to the canvas, secured mount, and hammered elbows down. Elliott shimmied this way and that way, but the undefeated star shifted to side control and continued to land damaging elbows and knees.
The Middlesbrough native then gave up his back, and Erdogan kept mauling. When the Brit attempted to get to his feet, he exposed his neck, and the Turkish heavyweight took full advantage of the opening. He slid his arm under the neck, secured the rear-naked choke, and Elliott tapped within seconds.
The submission was another masterclass from one of combat sports’ most complete heavyweights. That victory moved his spotless record to a pristine 14-0, bumped his finishing rate to 71 percent, and earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus.
With 14 consecutive wins and no man yet able to solve him, Erdogan has made the strongest possible case for a shot at heavyweight gold.
