ONE Championship fighters Adrian Mattheis and Alex Silva will be able to settle their score at ONE 158 on June 3. Their first fight in March 2022 ended in contentious fashion and now they can finish what they started.
The promotion uploaded the controversial fight to its YouTube channel.
Watch the first fight below, shared by ONE Championship:
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
In round one, Silva was dropped with a hard shot and transitioned it into a takedown. The Brazilian fighter controlled much of the round from the top position with submission attempts.
The controversial moment came in round two when Mattheis dropped Silva with a powerful punch and followed it up with a hammer fist while 'Little Rock' rolled over. The referee jumped in between the two fighters to end the fight, with Silva immediately standing up to show that he was not knocked out.
A visibly upset Alex Silva complained to the referee and did pushups to show he was still able to fight. Adrian Mattheis tried to hug and console his opponent with tears in his eyes.
ONE commentator Michael Schiavello said:
"Silva is unhappy, he is saying the referee called it too quick. Should have given him a chance to recover. Oh my. The controversy and jubilation."
The two will have a rematch on June 3 at ONE 158, and Alex Silva will be looking for revenge.
'Papua Badboy' Adrian Mattheis on Alex Silva
Indonesian-born 'Papua Badboy' Adrian Mattheis has spent his entire professional MMA career competing in ONE Championship. He made his debut in 2016 and has earned a 10-5 record since.
Mattheis said in an interview with ONE Championship that he always looked up to Silva, who was a ONE titleholder in 2017:
“Back when I was in university, I watched Silva’s fights in ONE. I had [started my MMA career], but I had yet to make it into ONE. I was competing in the nationals and regionals at that time. I first saw him when there was a local event. I was with coach Zuli [Silawanto], and from there, I dreamed of entering ONE and facing him. That was back in 2016.”
Mattheis added that it is a dream to be able to fight a person's idol. He went on to explain:
“I’ve been keeping myself primed for this day when I finally get to match up with my idol. He is a former world champion, and to this day, he’s still one of the best grapplers in the promotion. I have always had the mindset of doing my best. Both Silva and I are doing our best in practice, and I will do my maximum, so when the time comes, and should I get the chance, I’ll deliver Silva his loss.”
At ONE 158, Adrian Mattheis has the opportunity to fight his idol a second time and might earn another victory against him.