Magomed Magomedov Grades Himself Six Out Of 10 After Winning ONE Debut
Magomed Magomedov stayed perfect in his ONE Championship debut. He just does not think he was anywhere near his best.
The KHK Dagestan representative edged Brazilian star Lucas Gabriel by split decision in the lightweight MMA main event of ONE Fight Night 49 on Prime Video on Friday, November 6, at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The win lifted the 31-year-old to 16-0.
Magomedov dragged Gabriel to the canvas and controlled him from top position through much of the first round, then kept chasing takedowns in the second. The Brazilian rallied late, reversing a scramble and landing knees from top control in the third, but two judges sided with the debutant.
Headlining a U.S. primetime card in his first promotional appearance, with an unbeaten record to protect, was not lost on him. He was quick to credit the opponent who pushed him all the way.
“I’m very happy that I got a chance to get a debut in ONE Championship. I was so happy that I got a debut with a very, very good fighter as well. He was very strong. He was on a series of wins. But I knew myself, I knew I could fight him, and I could win,” Magomedov said.
The night carried a bigger subplot. Just hours earlier at The Inner Circle 37, Tye Ruotolo submitted Christian “The Warrior” Lee in round one to claim the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title, and Magomedov believes his win puts him firmly in line for a shot.
He also felt the scorecards should have been clearer, insisting he won the first two rounds. Yet for all the confidence in his result, he was far less generous when assessing the performance itself.
Magomedov is a demanding critic of his own work. He knows Gabriel was a dangerous opponent, but he believes he has plenty more to show on the global stage.
The win keeps his record spotless and his title ambitions alive. His honest self-assessment, however, suggests the best version of the Dagestani-trained fighter is still to come.
“I would probably rate my performance six – maybe seven points max [out of 10]. For me, it was a great chance to show myself and try to win, try to participate, but my opponent was very good. So about six [to] seven points,” he said.
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