Martin Nguyen has completed his climb.
The 28-year-old Australian knocked out the previously unbeaten Marat Gafurov and laid claim to the featherweight crown in the One Championship “Quest for Greatness” headliner on Friday at Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. An unconscious Gafurov (15-1) hit the deck 1:27 into Round 2, as he was dethroned in dramatic fashion.
Nguyen (9-1) fought through some initial adversity to avenge the only loss of his career. Gafurov struck for multiple takedowns in the first round, but his search for a fight-ending choke came up empty.