ONE Fight Night 48 Preview: Erdogan vs. Elliott Puts Heavyweight MMA in the Spotlight

Preview published September 29, 2026. Event date: Friday, October 2 in U.S. primetime; the live event takes place in Bangkok, Thailand. The illustration is conceptual, not a photograph of the fighters.

Shamil Erdogan and Paul Elliott are set to meet in a heavyweight mixed martial arts main event at ONE Fight Night 48: Erdogan vs. Elliott, staged at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. ONE advertises the broadcast for Friday, October 2, 2026, in U.S. primetime. That date refers to the American broadcast window; because Bangkok is ahead of U.S. time zones, viewers in Thailand should consult the promotion’s local schedule rather than assume the same calendar date. The official event page does not provide a precise local bell time in the information cited here.

A heavyweight MMA opportunity, not a title fight

ONE frames the headliner as an opportunity to move closer to the vacant ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title, not as a bout awarding that championship. Its event synopsis describes Erdogan as undefeated and highlights his combination of grappling and knockout power. Elliott, the British heavyweight, is described by the promotion as a knockout finisher whose six-second stoppage equaled ONE’s fastest-knockout record. Those promotional descriptions establish the stakes and their advertised strengths, but they do not settle how their styles will interact on fight night.

The central tactical question is whether Erdogan can make Elliott defend more than punches. If Erdogan establishes takedown threats and clinch pressure, the British fighter may have fewer clean opportunities to plant his feet and throw. Conversely, Elliott’s power makes entries into punching range a potentially costly proposition. Those are matchup considerations, not predictions of a result.

The other confirmed MMA matchups

The official fight card also lists Joshua Perreira vs. Antonio Cesar in flyweight MMA. In its September 29 feature, ONE says Perreira enters at 6-0 with six finishes, while Cesar brings a 14-2 record and a nine-fight winning streak. The contrast is straightforward: Perreira has demonstrated early finishing ability, whereas Cesar’s recent ONE win came by decision. How each handles the other’s preferred pace could be decisive.

A further strawweight MMA contest on the published event card pairs Seung Cheol with Ghazaryan. The card also contains Muay Thai, kickboxing and submission-grappling contests; these are separate disciplines and should not be counted as MMA bouts. In particular, Luke Lessei vs. Charlie Guest is listed as featherweight Muay Thai, not MMA.

What to check before the opening bell

As with any advance card, fight listings and broadcast details can change. Readers should use ONE’s official event page for the final running order and their regional viewing information. For U.S. audiences the promotion describes the show as an October 2 primetime broadcast from Bangkok; no unsupported exact start time is assumed here.

Sources: ONE Championship official event listing; ONE Championship, September 29, 2026, featured bouts preview.

Featured image: AI-generated symbolic promotional artwork with imagined heavyweight figures and Bangkok scenery. It does not depict Erdogan, Elliott or an actual event photograph.