WATCH: Swiss slugger Maurice Abevi makes Kazakhstan’s Samat Mamedov quit with vicious ground-and-pound assault

Maurice Abevi extended his winning streak in ONE Championship with a breathtaking performance last Friday, Jan. 24.

The Swiss standout wasted no time dispatching Kazakhstan’s Samat in a 176-pound catchweight MMA bout at ONE 170, electrifying a packed crowd at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Watch the highlights of that matchup below:

Abevi came out firing, landing a series of thunderous strikes — including a thunderous straight right and a punishing body kick — that forced Mamedov to change levels and shoot for a takedown.

However, the 25-year-old was more than ready for this. He stuffed the attempt, swiftly took Mamedov’s back, and transitioned to half-guard. From there, Abevi unleashed relentless ground-and-pound that split open his opponent’s head.

Moments later, Abevi sealed the TKO victory at the 2:46 mark of the opening round, forcing Mamedov to tap to notch his third consecutive win under the promotion’s banner and upgrade his professional record to 9-1.

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Maurice Abevi’s momentum may lead to world title shot

Now riding a wave of momentum, Maurice Abevi is inching closer to a shot at the ONE lightweight MMA world championship.

His eyes are undoubtedly on divisional king Christian Lee, who recently hinted on Instagram that his training camp is underway, suggesting a potential title defense in the coming months.

After a lengthy hiatus following the tragic passing of his sister, Victoria Lee, in December 2022, “The Warrior” finally returned to action in December 2024, defending his belt against Alibeg Rasulov.

However, his highly anticipated comeback ended in controversy, as an accidental eye poke left Rasulov unable to continue, resulting in an unsatisfying no contest.

With a rematch between Lee and Rasulov on the horizon, Abevi is determined to maintain his streak in 2025, hoping to position himself as the next challenger for the division’s top prize.