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ONE Fight Night 48: Shamil Erdogan remains unbeaten and has put himself firmly in the conversation for the vacant ONE Heavyweight MMA World Championship. The Turkish heavyweight submitted Paul Elliott with a rear naked choke at 2:28 of Round 2 in the main event of ONE Fight Night 48 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. The victory moved Erdogan to 14 – 0 professionally and extended his winning streak to six fights in ONE Championship.
The result also came with significant implications for the ONE heavyweight division. The bout was positioned as a potential route toward a shot at the vacant heavyweight title, and Erdogan delivered one of the strongest performances of his ONE career.
Shamil Erdogan Controls Elliott Before Finding the Finish
Erdogan immediately looked to take the fight into his preferred territory. The former Russia and Turkey national team wrestler repeatedly used his strength and grappling to bring Elliott to the canvas. He controlled large portions of the opening round, using positional pressure and ground strikes to keep the British heavyweight from establishing his powerful striking game.
Elliott entered the contest with a reputation for finishing fights on the feet, but Erdogan consistently forced him to defend from the ground. The second round briefly gave Elliott an opening.
The British fighter landed a right hand that appeared to hurt Erdogan, forcing the Turkish heavyweight to reconsider prolonged exchanges on the feet. Erdogan responded by returning to his wrestling and taking Elliott back down. From there, Erdogan advanced to mount and began landing elbows before moving to side control.
When Elliott attempted to escape and get back to his feet, he exposed his neck. Erdogan immediately took the back, secured the rear naked choke and forced the tap at 2:28 of Round 2.
14 – 0 and Another Finish
The victory keeps Erdogan’s professional record perfect at 14 – 0. It also gave him his sixth consecutive victory and continued a remarkable finishing record. ONE reported that Erdogan now has a 71 percent finishing rate, while the performance earned him a $50,000 bonus. Erdogan has now made a strong case for the next opportunity at heavyweight gold.
The division currently has a vacant championship, which made the stakes of the Bangkok main event particularly important. ONE itself promoted the contest as a fight with a potential title opportunity on the line.
Antonio Cesar Ends Joshua Perreira’s Unbeaten Run
The other major MMA result on the card came earlier in the night when Antonio Cesar stopped Joshua Perreira. Perreira entered the contest unbeaten and was one of the promising American MMA fighters on the ONE Fight Night 48 card. Cesar ended that perfect record with a doctor stoppage at 5:00 of Round 1.
The fight was competitive, but Cesar’s pressure and striking eventually created the opening for the stoppage. The result is particularly important for Cesar, who continues to build momentum in ONE’s flyweight division. Joshua Perreira vs. Antonio Cesar: Antonio Cesar WIN, TKO (doctor stoppage) Round 1, 5:00. For Perreira, meanwhile, the result represents the first professional defeat of his career.
Ruan Alvarenga Edges Shoya Ishiguro
The card also featured a submission grappling contest between Japan’s Shoya Ishiguro and Brazil’s Ruan Alvarenga. Alvarenga won by split decision after their featherweight submission grappling bout.
The result added another international matchup to a card that featured fighters from several different countries and combat sports disciplines.
Parham Gheirati Beats Nakrob Fairtex
The co main event produced a significant Muay Thai result. Parham Gheirati defeated Nakrob Fairtex by unanimous decision in their bantamweight Muay Thai contest.
Gheirati scored two knockdowns during the fight, including one in the opening round and another in the third, helping him secure the decision victory. ONE’s official results confirmed the unanimous decision.
Luke Lessei Wins Against Charlie Guest
American striker Luke Lessei also secured a decision victory over England’s Charlie Guest. Lessei defeated Guest by unanimous decision in their featherweight Muay Thai contest. The fight was one of the featured matchups on the card, with both fighters looking to move toward bigger opportunities in ONE’s stacked featherweight Muay Thai division.
Elbrus Osmanov Gets Split Decision
In bantamweight kickboxing, Elbrus Osmanov defeated Yi Yuxuan by split decision. The result came after three competitive rounds and gave Osmanov another important victory on the ONE stage.
Arian Esparza Scores First Round Knockout
The fastest finish of the night came in the featherweight Muay Thai matchup between Arian Esparza and Sam Fitzgerald. Esparza stopped Fitzgerald with a knockout at 2:35 of Round 1, adding another decisive result to the Bangkok card.
ONE Fight Night 48 Results
• Shamil Erdogan vs. Paul Elliott: Shamil Erdogan WIN, Submission Round 2, 2:28
• Joshua Perreira vs. Antonio Cesar: Antonio Cesar WIN, TKO (doctor stoppage) Round 1, 5:00
• Shoya Ishiguro vs. Ruan Alvarenga: Ruan Alvarenga WIN, Split Decision
• Nakrob Fairtex vs. Parham Gheirati: Parham Gheirati WIN, Unanimous Decision
• Luke Lessei vs. Charlie Guest: Luke Lessei WIN, Unanimous Decision
• Yu Yau Pui vs. Marie McManamon: Yu Yau Pui WIN, Unanimous Decision
• Arian Esparza vs. Sam Fitzgerald: Arian Esparza WIN, KO Round 1, 2:35
• Yi Yuxuan vs. Elbrus Osmanov: Elbrus Osmanov WIN, Split Decision
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