3 Of Gianni Subba’s Greatest ONE Wins

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Gianni Subba (9-2) always brings the excitement whenever he steps inside the ONE Championship cage.

After all, the Malaysian hero constantly pushes the pace and owns the record for most bouts (10) and wins (9) in ONE flyweight history. 

Now, with a pair of recent victories over former world title challengers, he finds himself on the cusp of a ONE Flyweight World Championship opportunity.

Subba, who trains out of Bali MMA, can state his case for a world title shot on Friday, 9 March, when he meets Australia’s Reece “Lightning” McLaren in a flyweight world title eliminator at ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY.

The match, which serves as the card’s main event, takes place from the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As he readies himself for the riveting clash, let’s revisit some of his best victories in the ONE cage.

Subba Elbows His Way To Victory

At ONE: WARRIOR SPIRIT in November 2013, Subba engaged in an all-Malaysian battle with Chen Yun Ting, and he proved to be the superior martial artist.

Following an early feeling out process, the Bali MMA product initiated the clinch, pressed Chen against the cage, and slammed him to the ground with a huge double leg takedown. Subba immediately landed in side control, but soon stood back up and rained strikes on the grounded Chen.

He fended off some submission attempts, fell into Chen’s guard, and then quickly transitioned into a high half guard, where he did his best work. Subba started firing off heavy punches, and then found a home for his elbows. It left referee Olivier Coste no choice but to stop the contest at 3:03 of the first round.

The Triangle Of Ruel Catalan

It was a battle for national pride at ONE: ERA OF CHAMPIONS in June 2014, as Subba faced the Philippines’ Ruel Catalan.

Despite possessing world-class wushu, Catalan did not have much of a chance to utilize it. The Bali MMA representative immediately grounded his rival, flawlessly moved from position to position, and finally secured the full mount. He dropped his trademark punches and elbows until Catalan rolled onto his stomach.

Subba controlled his opponent’s back, and tried applying submission after submission, but to no avail. Catalan would scramble to the top position, but the Malaysian nearly tapped him out with incredibly deep armbar and triangle choke attempts. Ultimately, Catalan was saved by the bell in the first round.

After a minute of trading strikes in the second round, Catalan reversed Subba’s takedown attempt and landed in top position. Despite the favorable positioning, it wound up being the beginning of the end for the Filipino, as Subba locked in a triangle choke to force the tap at 2:43 of round two.

Besting “The Outsider” At Home

Last August, at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS in his hometown of Kuala Lumpur, Subba earned a marquee victory over a former world title challenger in Riku “The Outsider” Shibuya.

Seconds after the opening bell sounded, they fired away at each other, but it was Subba who landed a huge knee on his Japanese opponent, and then tried securing the back in an attempt to fish for submissions.

It was even more competitive in the second frame. Though Shibuya got a takedown, the Malaysian quickly got back up, and wound up tripping “The Outsider” before dropping a melee of ground strikes.

In the third and final stanza, “The Outsider” again tried utilizing his grappling to nullify his opponent’s stand-up prowess. He was partially successful, but the Bali MMA representative always found a way back to his feet. Subba even dropped Shibuya in the waning seconds of the bout, and immediately jumped into favorable positions to drop ground strikes and fish for some last-ditch submissions.

He may not have gotten a stoppage victory, but Subba took the unanimous decision, and in the process, a signature win for his resume.

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