‘Fight Will End In Second Round’: Undefeated Shamil Erdogan Issues Warning To Paul Elliott At ONE Fight Night 48

New Delhi, Oct 2: Undefeated Turkish fighter Shamil Erdogan is not interested in talking about numbers ahead of his biggest test yet. The Dagestani-born wrestling standout faces Paul Elliott, fresh off one of the fastest knockouts in ONE Championship history, in the main event of ONE Fight Night 48 on Saturday, October 3.

The stakes extend well beyond the immediate matchup, with a victory for either man potentially setting up a path toward the vacant ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title. Erdogan, a southpaw boasting a perfect 13-0 career record and a flawless 5-0 mark inside ONE, has finished every single one of his promotional opponents.

Despite that unblemished run, Erdogan made clear his undefeated status carries little weight in his own mind heading into fight night, insisting his focus remains purely on performance rather than preserving a record.

"Honestly, for me that zero in the losses column doesn't mean anything at all. I don't even think about it. I just go out there inside the ring and do my job," Erdogan said.

Standing across from him is the 34-year-old Elliott, a fellow southpaw riding a two-fight winning streak with a career MMA record of 8-2, all eight victories coming by finish. Elliott's last outing produced one of the most jaw-dropping moments in recent memory, a six-second head kick knockout of Regan Upshaw.

Erdogan acknowledged the genuine danger posed by Elliott's striking ability, specifically highlighting the kicking attacks that made that finish possible.

"We all saw his last fight, his kicks fly really well. That was such a beautiful knockout. I think it's one of the fastest knockouts in ONE Championship. And I think that is his biggest danger, the danger coming from his legs," he said.

Despite the respect for his opponent's finishing ability, Erdogan confidently predicted exactly how he expects the fight to unfold, outlining a clear strategy built around wearing Elliott down before closing the show.

"I'm predicting that this fight will end in the second round. In the first round, I'll drag him into deep water, and in the second round I'll try to finish him," Erdogan said.