Magomed Akaev waited through two canceled bookings to get his shot at redemption.
The 29-year-old Dagestani faces Lucas Gabriel in a lightweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Injuries derailed their first scheduled meeting at ONE Fight Night 38. The promotion rebooked it for ONE Fight Night 39. Then circumstances shifted again. Now the wait ends with both fighters healthy and desperate to prove something.
Akaev carries a 10-1 record built through regional dominance before ONE Championship signed him. His lone defeat came against Ibragim Dauev in a split decision at ONE Fight Night 32 last June. The narrow loss stung, but Akaev refused to view it as proof of inadequacy. He saw two fighters on equal footing trading shots for 15 minutes.
Moving up to lightweight gave Akaev fresh opportunity. Bigger fighters, different challenges, and a chance to start building momentum with his promotional record sitting at 0-1.
“My first loss didn’t change my plans at all, because I didn’t lose due to a lack of skill,” he said. “I wasn’t worse than my opponent either in striking or in grappling. Now I’ve moved up a weight class and I’m ready to start winning again.”
Magomed Akaev sees predictable patterns in Lucas Gabriel’s approach
Magomed Akaev recognizes dangerous opposition when he sees it. Lucas Gabriel brings a 10-1 record and an undefeated ONE Championship run that includes finishing the previously perfect Gadzhimurad Amirzhanov.
The Brazilian’s Nova União black belt credentials create problems. His submission of Amirzhanov showcased elite-level grappling combined with relentless pressure that breaks opponents mentally before they tap physically.
Still, Akaev doesn’t plan on playing Gabriel’s game. The sanda specialist watched the tape and identified exploitable tendencies in Gabriel’s approach. Patterns emerge when fighters rely too heavily on physical attributes instead of tactical variety. The contrast between Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Dagestani combat systems creates a fascinating stylistic matchup.
“I think both Lucas and I have gained enough experience before coming to ONE,” he said. “Now we’ll see who is better prepared — the Brazilian school versus the Dagestani school. I’m not a typical representative of the Dagestani combat sports school, where most fighters are wrestlers. I just want to win the fight and raise the flag of my country and my region.
“Lucas has very strong physical attributes and excellent grappling, but his style is quite predictable. I already know how to beat him, and you’ll see it in the fight. I’m going to fight him standing, and I’m confident he won’t be able to take me down.
“A win over Lucas would give me a strong chance to become a title contender, because he has had many fights in this league and won all of them. I’m really looking forward to the fight to show what I’m truly capable of.”