Magomed Magomedov moved to 16-0 with a split-decision win over Lucas Gabriel in Bangkok, ONE Championship reported on 7 November. The lightweight MMA headliner was Magomedov's first bout for the promotion and Gabriel's first defeat in a ONE contest.
Magomedov's wrestling carries a close decision
Magomedov went for takedowns early, according to ONE's account of the main event. Gabriel landed punches while the fighters were standing, but Magomedov brought the action to the canvas and worked from inside the Brazilian's guard. He used strikes on the ground and looked for submissions during the scrambles.
The second round followed a similar pattern at first. Gabriel managed to stand and connected with a head kick, forcing another takedown attempt that Magomedov could not finish. That exchange kept Gabriel in the fight despite the time he had spent defending on the mat.
Gabriel then reversed a ground exchange in the final round and landed knees as Magomedov tried to regain position. The late attack did not change the verdict: ONE says two ringside judges favoured Magomedov. Its separate results card also records a split decision, rather than a stoppage or unanimous call.
A late replacement faces Gabriel in Bangkok
Magomedov entered on short notice after Alibeg Rasulov withdrew injured, ONE reported before the event. The promotional newcomer Magomed Magomedov told ONE before the fight: “I want to impose my pace on him, control the fight, and use my strengths.” His early takedowns matched that stated plan, although Gabriel's head kick and late reversal made the contest competitive. SportsRivo's pre-fight report described the headliner as scheduled after the fighters agreed to continue. The new result establishes that the bout took place and that Magomedov won it. Gabriel had entered unbeaten in ONE, with a previous victory over former lightweight champion Ok Rae Yoon, according to the promotion's match report.
SportsRivo compared ONE's main-event report with its separate lightweight title report. Tye Ruotolo submitted Christian Lee to win the belt before Magomedov defeated Gabriel. ONE presents Magomedov as a possible next challenger to Ruotolo, but describes that prospect conditionally rather than as an announced title fight. Gabriel had also been in the title discussion before the main event, so the result changes which fighter has a winning claim while the championship itself has a new holder.
What the result changes
- Magomedov has a winning ONE debut and remains unbeaten at 16-0, according to ONE's 7 November report.
- Gabriel has his first ONE defeat after arriving with an unbeaten promotional record, the same report confirms.
- Ruotolo holds the lightweight MMA title after beating Lee, while ONE describes Magomedov only as a possible challenger.
Source: ONE Championship