Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard Bia Basilio made a statement with a lightning-quick submission win at ONE FC – but it came at a cost.
The ADCC 2017 silver medalist and IBJJF world champion was slated to face promotional newcomer Nanami Ichikawa in a 132-pound submission grappling match on the May 3 card in Bangkok. Basilio wasted no time making her intentions clear.
Just 35 seconds into the contest, Basilio smoothly took Ichikawa’s back and locked in a fight-ending RNC. As Ichikawa went unconscious and the referee waved off the contest, Basilio grimaced in pain, clutching her knee after releasing the submission.
Despite securing one of the most dominant submission wins in ONE Championship history, the 33-year-old Brazilian appeared to have suffered a knee injury in the process of applying the match-ending submission. Medical personnel tended to both athletes following the anticlimactic finish.
Ichikawa match was side eyed by many industry insiders as a complete mismatch so the injury wasn’t something anyone who could’ve predicted.
To put things into perspective, Ichikawa became a black belt sometime last year and has no noteworthy titles while Basilio is an ADCC silver medalist in addition to having won IBJJF worlds in 2022 and 2023.
However, the lingering knee issue casts doubt on the timetable for Basilio’s next appearance. Following her incre and potentially secure a rematch with Musumeci in ONE’s stacked submission grappling ranks.
While the injury marred an otherwise perfect performance, Basilio served reminder that she is truly one of the most skilled and dangerous grapplers in the world when healthy.
