Pacio defends strawweight crown, Folayang returns at ONE's The Inner Circle 21

Two of the biggest names in Philippine mixed martial arts will take center stage on July 10 as Joshua Pacio defends his world title and Eduard Folayang returns to action at ONE Championship’s The Inner Circle 21 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Pacio, the reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion, will defend his title against Dagestan’s Mansur Malachiev in the main event.

The two first met at ONE Fight Night 15 in October 2023, when Pacio handed Malachiev the first loss of his professional career via unanimous decision. Since then, the Baguio City native has reclaimed the strawweight belt and successfully defended it against Jarred Brooks.

Pacio enters the bout looking to bounce back from a setback in his bid to become a two-division champion. The 30-year-old suffered a technical knockout loss to Yuya Wakamatsu in their flyweight title clash in December 2025.

In the co-main event, former three-time ONE lightweight MMA world champion Eduard Folayang returns to action for the first time in 15 months.

The longtime leader of Lion’s Nation MMA will take on Japan’s Shozo Isojima in a crucial lightweight clash.

One of the most decorated fighters in ONE Championship history, Folayang will look to author another chapter to his storied career. Meanwhile, Isojima hopes to snap a two-fight losing streak and revive his fortunes at the expense of the Filipino legend.

—JKC, GMA News