Two prominent Filipino mixed martial artists from Benguet-based Lions Nation MMA will spearhead ONE Championship’s return to Lumpinee Stadium on July 10, officials announced Monday.
Reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio will defend his title against Russia’s Mansur Malachiev in the main event of “The Inner Circle 21.”
In the co-main event, former lightweight champion Eduard Folayang returns from a 16-month layoff to face Japanese fighter Shozo Isojima.
The event will stream live in Asia primetime via live.onefc.com.
Pacio (23-4) meets Malachiev (14-1) in a rematch of their October 2023 bout, which Pacio won by unanimous decision. That loss remains the only blemish on Malachiev’s professional record.
Since their first meeting, Pacio reclaimed the strawweight title from Jarred Brooks in March 2024, underwent surgery for a torn ACL, and subsequently unified the divisional titles with a victory over Brooks in February 2025.
Malachiev earned his title shot on the strength of a three-fight winning streak, which includes victories over former champion Yosuke Saruta, Bokang Masunyane, and a second-round submission of Brooks last October.
In the co-main event, the 42-year-old Folayang (23-14) will compete for the first time since March 2025, when he suffered a submission loss to longtime rival Shinya Aoki. The veteran wushu striker, a three-time lightweight titleholder, is looking to bounce back in the final chapters of his career.
Isojima (16-8) enters the lightweight bout looking to snap a two-fight losing streak. After debuting in ONE with a TKO victory over Nicolas Vigna last October, the 28-year-old judoka dropped consecutive bouts to Tye Ruotolo and Adrian Lee. Roderick Osis
