3 Explosive Reasons To Watch The Inner Circle 25 On August 7
The Inner Circle 25 arrives on Friday, August 7, featuring a stacked card that guarantees high-stakes martial arts action from top to bottom. Broadcasting live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium, the blockbuster event streams exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com.
A bantamweight Muay Thai World Title eliminator will determine who faces the divisional king next, the highly anticipated ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament roars to life with a clash between two elite strikers, and one of the most debated results of the year gets its definitive answer in a monumental rematch.
Here are three compelling reasons The Inner Circle 25 is absolutely unmissable this Friday.
#1 The Next Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title Challenger Will Be Decided
Former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane and three-division Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Suakim PongSuphan PK will clash in a massive World Title eliminator. The victor earns the coveted right to challenge reigning divisional king Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon.
Anane’s remarkable journey through ONE Championship has been nothing short of extraordinary. The towering 6-foot-4 Algerian-Thai striker arrived as the youngest-ever WBC Muay Thai World Champion. After an initial setback against “The Kicking Machine” Superlek in his debut, he returned with unmatched focus, systematically clearing out top contenders before defeating Nico “King of the North” Carrillo to claim interim gold in 2025.
Following a high-profile victory over Superlek, he was elevated to undisputed champion, only to drop the belt to Rambolek in a closely contested battle earlier this year. Every step since has pointed directly toward reclaiming his throne, and Friday night provides his fastest route back to the top.
Suakim, however, presents a truly formidable obstacle. The seasoned veteran of more than 200 professional bouts enters the ring riding an incredible seven-fight winning streak against world-class opposition. This spectacular run has already earned him a lucrative six-figure contract and firmly established him as one of the most in-form strikers in the entire division. A victory over a towering former champion like Anane would solidify Suakim as a genuine global force.
#2 ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament Begins
One of the most highly anticipated tournaments in recent ONE history officially gets underway at The Inner Circle 25, and the opening round wastes no time delivering a blockbuster matchup. Three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion Marat Grigorian locks horns with Russian-Armenian sensation Mamuka Usubyan in a high-stakes quarterfinal clash that doubles as a serious statement of intent from both men.
The stakes are incredibly straightforward and enormous. The ultimate tournament winner earns a guaranteed shot at reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon. For both Grigorian and Usubyan, a defeat here ends the golden dream entirely.
Grigorian requires no introduction to striking fans. The 70-14 veteran has defeated some of the biggest names in the sport and arrives riding a spectacular three-fight winning streak that includes two stunning finishes. He is in the best form of his career and deeply hungry for the one major accolade that has eluded him.
Usubyan, meanwhile, has been equally impossible to ignore since his promotional debut. He has won all four of his ONE appearances across both kickboxing and Muay Thai, utilizing a brilliantly controlled, forward-moving style that makes opponents uncomfortable from the opening bell. He steps into the ring with the momentum of a rising star who firmly believes this is his time.
#3 A Score To Settle In A Long-Awaited Rematch
Few results from the first half of 2026 generated more intense debate than the razor-thin split decision that separated Abdulla “Smash Boy” Dayakaev and ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek at The Inner Circle 14 this past May. On Friday night, they run it back in a thrilling bantamweight Muay Thai rematch, and this time, both men have something massive to prove.
Their first encounter was a technical masterclass in contrasting styles pushed to the absolute limit. Dayakaev set a commanding tone early, surprisingly dropping the pound-for-pound striking great for an eight-count in the opening round, sending shockwaves through Lumpinee Stadium. Superlek masterfully responded by steadily increasing his output through the second and third rounds, but the judges ultimately awarded the victory to the Russian standout. The moment the decision was announced, the combat sports world was split right down the middle.
Dayakaev returns with the soaring confidence of a man who has already bested one of the sport’s greatest modern strikers. A second consecutive victory over Superlek would make his undeniable case as the division’s most legitimate World Title contender.
Superlek, meanwhile, is a man on a mission. A recent challenging stretch has placed renewed scrutiny on the iconic striker, and there is no more powerful motivation than avenging a narrow loss to a man who dared to send him to the canvas. When these two elite martial artists collide again on Friday night, expect a highly technical, action-packed battle that finally delivers the decisive answer the fans are demanding.
