Shamil Erdogan Wants 'All Three Belts' After ONE Fight Night 48 Submission Victory

That submission win improved the MMA fighter’s career record to 14-0 and netted him a US$50,000 performance bonus for his sixth consecutive promotional finish.

Before the match at ONE Fight Night 48, Erdogan had stated publicly that he would drag Elliott into deep water in round one and finish him in the second. He executed that blueprint exactly as promised, using his elite wrestling to control the British fighter on the ground for the majority of the opening frame before closing the show in round two.

With the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Championship vacant, Erdogan has now made the strongest possible case for the next title shot, and he wasted no time delivering his list of preferred challengers in the post-fight interview.

Erdogan Calls His Latest Win Unforgettable at ONE Fight Night 48

Fourteen straight victories across his unblemished MMA career and six consecutive ONE Championship finishes represent a level of sustained dominance that few fighters at any weight class can match.

Erdogan's post-fight reaction was as composed as the performance itself.

"This is an unforgettable feeling. I'm very happy that I'm here, and that I won again, just like I did 13 times before that. There is no secret. There is nothing new. I'm just doing my job," Erdogan said.

Elliott's 100 percent knockout rate and the legitimate danger of his striking made him the most credible challenge Erdogan had faced in ONE Championship, and the Turk handled it without being extended beyond the second round. Needless to say, Erdogan's victory at ONE Fight Night 48 was everything he had hoped it would be.

The Turkish Powerhouse Says He Wants Three ONE World Title Belts

The heavyweight submission at ONE Fight Night 48 was Erdogan's second appearance at the weight class, and the champion-in-waiting has been candid about where his natural home sits in the divisional landscape. What makes his ambitions even more striking is the scope of what he is targeting beyond a single championship.

"I'm more comfortable at heavyweight. Generally speaking, I can take all three belts. I've never fought at heavyweight before, it was my experience, but I just want to take all the belts that I can reach," he explained.

Targeting multiple championship belts across weight classes puts Erdogan in the company of the most ambitious fighters in ONE Championship history.

Erdogan’s freestyle wrestling credentials, which include a victory over former three-division MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin in competition, and the striking danger he has demonstrated across six ONE Championship finishes give him the tools to be taken seriously regardless of which division he pursues next.

Erdogan Calls Out Malykhin and Tynan for Future Fights

Following his win at ONE Fight Night 48, the Turk called out two names and gave a generous send-off for the man he most wanted to fight. Erdogan has named his preferred next opponents and paid his respects to the retired legend he will never get to meet inside the ring.

"I would be happy to fight in the future. But I would really love Anatoly Malykhin. He is a legend in this sport. And I would really love it. But if he really did retire, I just wish good luck him and his family," he said.

Tynan, a 32-year-old Canadian powerhouse with two ONE Championship victories, is the most available path to continued contendership at heavyweight. Malykhin's retirement closes the door on a dream matchup for Erdogan, who had previously beaten the former three-division ONE World Champion in freestyle wrestling.