ONE Championship had an explosive start to 2026. And now, as the promotion approaches the second half of the year, fans can expect even more heat!
The world’s largest martial arts organization will broadcast The Inner Circle 21 and ONE Friday Fights 161 live in Asia primetime from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, July 10.
In the main event of The Inner Circle 21, ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio will defend his 26 pounds of gold against Dagestani contender Mansur Malachiev in a rematch that’s been nearly three years in the making.
Also, former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion and Filipino martial arts legend Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will make his long-awaited return in what could be the final match of his iconic career. He’ll square off against Japanese judoka Shozo “Great Teacher” Isojima in the co-main event.
In addition, 18-year-old rising star Jaradchai Maxjandee eyes his fourth straight knockout victory, as well as the life-changing US$100,000 contract and global roster spot in the headline attraction of ONE Friday Fights 161. But Othman “The Ironside” Rhouni looks to play the spoiler and earn a degree of redemption in his second promotional appearance.
For up-to-the-minute results and video highlights from every MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling match at The Inner Circle 21 and ONE Friday Fights 161, check below.
Shozo “Great Teacher” Isojima does not simply want to beat Eduard “Landslide” Folayang. After two frustrating setbacks in the world’s largest martial arts organization, the Japanese judoka firmly believes he needs to produce the kind of dominant performance that proves he still belongs among ONE Championship’s elite.
The 28-year-old has dedicated himself more fully to martial arts, but this story is not merely about what he changed outside the ring. It is about exactly what he intends to showcase inside it.
On Friday, July 10, Isojima will face the Filipino icon in a high-stakes lightweight MMA co-main event at The Inner Circle 21. The blockbuster card streams live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium, exclusively for members at live.onefc.com.
The matchup gives Isojima a golden chance to rebound against a former three-time ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion, an Asian MMA pioneer, and a seasoned veteran boasting 23 career victories. But the 28-year-old also intrinsically knows this massive opportunity arrives at a critical juncture in his career.
The Japanese fighter said:
“In my last two fights, I really lost without being able to do anything at all. This fight feels like my survival in ONE Championship is on the line. I need to win for sure. I need to leave a really strong impression, winning in a dominant way.
“If I don’t win in an overwhelming way, the future conversation changes. So I’m aiming for an early finish and building everything toward achieving a good result.”
That immense urgency fundamentally changed how Isojima approached his professional career.
The N-Trust representative had previously been balancing elite competition with his demanding work as a physical education teacher. But after his recent setbacks, he decided that fighting top-tier athletes in ONE required a much deeper level of overall commitment.
Isojima explained:
“Now, I’m basically just training in martial arts. So I’m able to spend time on preparing for fights and conditioning my body.
“Thinking about fighting against top fighters, I felt like I needed to dedicate everything to it.”
That shifted mindset gives this co-main event incredible extra weight.
Isojima is certainly not facing an ordinary opponent. Folayang remains a massive, heroic figure in the Philippines — a grizzled veteran who helped define ONE’s lightweight MMA division and built his fearsome reputation through explosive wushu-based striking, relentless pressure, and years of World Championship experience.
Isojima said:
“As a fighter, I’m really grateful to ONE for finding such a big-name opponent for me every single time. He’s still a heroic figure in the Philippines, and even though he’s become quite a veteran fighter at this point, I felt like he’s a wall I need to overcome.”
Eduard Folayang’s immense experience demands absolute respect, but Shozo Isojima sees the clearest path to victory in one specific area.
The Filipino legend has spent much of his storied career punishing opponents with his devastating striking, constant forward movement, and ability to apply suffocating pressure on the feet. Isojima fully expects those weapons to be highly dangerous early on, but he does not plan to fight on Folayang’s preferred terms for long.
The Japanese athlete said:
“As for his strengths, I think his stand-up striking and the way he applies pressure there are really strong, watching him.
“For my part, I want to weather the striking exchanges and bring it to the ground game. Since he’s a veteran fighter, I think by the second or third round, my stamina will definitely be stronger, so I want to bring the fight into that kind of situation.”
That calculated game plan points directly to Isojima’s elite judo base.
His best route to victory begins with closing the distance, disrupting Folayang’s striking rhythm, and turning the contest into a grueling grappling-heavy battle. Once he gets inside the clinch, Isojima believes his powerful throws, heavy top control, slick submissions, and punishing ground-and-pound can create the exact kind of dominant performance he urgently needs.
He said:
“In terms of judo throws and judo techniques, the technique suited for MMA that I’m good at is the armbar submission, and other than that, I think I can fight advantageously with ground control too.
“My strength is definitely the takedown – the technique of taking down my opponent, and then controlling them and transitioning to ground-and-pound. That’s the style I’m good at.”
That systematic approach gives Isojima a crystal-clear finishing picture.
After completely changing his daily preparation and committing more fully to his martial arts career, the Japanese standout wants his hard work to manifest in a result that simply cannot be ignored.
Isojima concluded:
“I’m definitely aiming for a finish. I want to properly control the first two rounds myself, and if possible, build up ground and pound in a really exciting way and head toward a finish.”
Mansur Malachiev has never treated the only loss of his professional mixed martial arts career as a settled matter.
Almost three years after Joshua “The Passion” Pacio handed him a narrow unanimous decision defeat at ONE Fight Night 15, the 13-1 Russian powerhouse still firmly believes he did more than enough to win that night. Now, he gets the ultimate opportunity to turn that lingering belief into something far greater than simple vindication.
On Friday, July 10, Malachiev will challenge Pacio for the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title in the main event of The Inner Circle 21. The blockbuster matchup streams live in Asia primetime exclusively for members at live.onefc.com from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
Their initial encounter in 2023 was physically draining, technically complex, and fiercely competitive from the opening bell to the final horn. Malachiev found consistent success with his signature takedowns and suffocating grappling pressure, while Pacio answered with damaging strikes, dangerous submission threats, and the cleaner individual moments that ultimately swayed the judges.
But for the 34-year-old contender, the memory remains vastly different.
The Universal Fighters representative recalled:
“I am sure that I won that fight against Pacio, but I do not understand why the judges raised his hand.”
That single sentiment explains the immense emotional fuel behind this high-stakes rematch.
Malachiev is not entering the ring as a challenger simply happy to receive his first crack at ONE World Title gold. He is returning to an unresolved piece of business against the man he believes should never have left with the victory.
Since that lone career setback, the Dagestani standout has systematically rebuilt his contender status with undeniable substance. He bounced back with key victories over former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta and South African powerhouse Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane, before producing his biggest promotional statement by submitting former divisional kingpin Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks.
That spectacular run brought him right back to Pacio, but the challenger insists this version of himself is far better prepared than the one who competed in 2023.
Malachiev explained:
“Last time, I went into the fight with a leg injury, and I had little time to prepare. This time, I was able to complete a full training camp. Now I am in full fighting condition.”
That crucial detail dramatically changes the narrative of the rematch.
In the first encounter, a compromised Malachiev still pushed Pacio through three hard rounds. This time around, he believes the potent combination of perfect health, pristine timing, and a full camp will allow him to seamlessly impose the strongest version of his wrestling-heavy game.
Pacio remains one of the most decorated strawweights in ONE history — a battle-tested World Champion with sharp striking, proven durability, and the rare ability to create danger even when forced backward or taken down. Malachiev fully respects that pedigree, but he also sees a clear path to victory.
The Russian offered:
“His strong side is his striking, but he is not very strong in wrestling, especially freestyle wrestling.”
“I cannot say that I am 100 percent confident, but I have a goal — to win early. I am ready for everything, even if that means going all five rounds.”
For all the intense emotion attached to the rematch with reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio, Mansur Malachiev explicitly refuses to frame this headliner as a bitter grudge match.
The marquee opportunity is not only about correcting what he believes was an incorrect judging result. It is also the exact defining moment he has been relentlessly chasing since he first signed with the world’s largest martial arts organization.
He stated:
“This is what I have been striving for, to prove to the whole world that I am the best in the best organization.”
That elite ambition gives the main event of The Inner Circle 21 its real edge. Malachiev respects Pacio, acknowledges his historical qualities, and understands the massive scale of what the Filipino icon has accomplished. But respect has not changed his absolute conviction that the first fight should have ended differently.
He is not promising emotional revenge. He is promising absolute resolution.
Malachiev concluded:
“There is no revenge for me. Pacio is a good, humble guy. The belt is the goal I have been striving for.
“In this fight, I am determined to prove that I did not lose the previous bout. I intend to win the belt that I believe should have become mine.”
Login
