Magomedov Questions Split Decision After ONE Debut Win

Magomed Magomedov won his ONE Championship debut but questioned why the judges did not all see it his way.

The undefeated lightweight took a split decision over Lucas Gabriel in Friday's main event at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, per BJPenn.com. The KHK Dagestan fighter controlled the opening frame from top position and kept hunting takedowns in the second. Gabriel reversed a scramble in round three and landed knees from the clinch, but that late rally was not enough for two of the three judges.

Magomedov Calls First Two Rounds Clear

The 31-year-old told BJPenn.com he was baffled by the closeness of the verdict. He believes his dominance in rounds one and two should have earned a unanimous decision, conceding only the final frame to Gabriel. "I'm not very sure why I got the split decision," Magomedov said, adding that his sustained pressure earned him the nod.

Magomedov now has his sights on the ONE lightweight belt. Earlier the same night, Tye Ruotolo finished Christian Lee in the first round to capture that title at The Inner Circle 37. Gabriel had been viewed as a potential challenger, and the unbeaten Dagestani believes stopping him in his debut warrants an immediate title shot. Magomedov's record stands at 16-0.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Magomed Magomedov questions split decision after ONE Fight Night 49 win over Lucas Gabriel