Magomedov Grades His ONE Debut a Six or Seven, Eyes Title
Magomed Magomedov wants a shot at the ONE lightweight title after a single fight in the promotion. He also gave his own debut a score of only six or seven out of ten.
A title picture reshuffled within hours
The timing suits him. At The Inner Circle 37, hours before his fight, Tye Ruotolo submitted longtime titleholder Christian Lee in round one. Ruotolo took the lightweight MMA crown and became a two-sport ONE world champion, because he already held the welterweight submission grappling title.
Magomedov sees that change as an opening. “I’m ready to fight for the belt, and I think I’m a suitable contender,” he said.
He is willing to meet Ruotolo himself. He respects the American's grappling credentials. Still, he believes wrestling forged in the Dagestani mountains gives him the edge over American grappling.
The score he gave himself
Magomedov did not go easy on his own work. “I would probably rate my performance six – maybe seven points max,” he told onefc.com.
He called the debut a great chance to show himself, but said his opponent was very good. Gabriel was strong and came in on a series of wins, he added.
A verdict he struggles to explain
Two of the three judges gave Magomedov the fight. He is not sure why it was split. In his view the first two rounds were his, and Gabriel may have won only the last.
He credits the result to pressure and dominance. He says he kept pushing and tried to wear his opponent down.
Takedowns early, knees late
Gabriel had his best stretch in round three. He won a scramble and ended up on top, throwing heavy knees. It did not move the scorecards.
Before that, Magomedov had set the tempo. He dragged Gabriel to the canvas in round one and spent most of the frame on top. In round two he kept chasing takedowns while Gabriel fought to escape the grappling.
The main event in Bangkok
The 31-year-old Bahraini, who trains in Dagestan and represents KHK Dagestan, improved to 16-0. He beat Brazil's Lucas Gabriel in a lightweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 49, held at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. The card aired live on Prime Video on Friday, November 6.