3 Biggest Takeaways From An Explosive Night At The Inner Circle 35
The Inner Circle 35 set Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium ablaze on Friday, October 16. The blockbuster event delivered a stunning upset, technical masterclasses, and career-defining performances. The action streamed live in Asia primetime via live.onefc.com.
Along the way, a bitter rivalry found its resolution, a returning veteran shook up the strawweight kickboxing ranks, and a teenage prodigy kept her flawless finishing streak alive.
Once the dust settled, ONE Championship’s global fan base had plenty to talk about. Here are the three biggest takeaways from the latest edition of the weekly series.
#1 Johan Ghazali’s Patience Is His Newest Weapon
Johan “Jojo” Ghazali waited more than a year to get Diego Paez back in the ring, and he made the absolute most of it. His unanimous decision win in the flyweight Muay Thai co-main event brought long-awaited vindication, wiping away a split-decision defeat at ONE Fight Night 32 and emphatically halting a two-fight slide.
What changed was not his trademark fire, but exactly how the Malaysian-American star channeled it. Where he once charged headfirst into dangerous exchanges, Ghazali meticulously picked his moments and gave Paez nothing wild to counter.
Paez still had his flashes of brilliance, but the Superbon Training Camp and Rentap Muaythai Gym representative never let them materialize into momentum. Each time the Colombian-American tried to drag the fight into chaos, Ghazali reset and went back to work with surgical precision.
That newfound maturity was forged in defeat. Back-to-back losses to Shimon Yoshinari and Ramadan “The Scorpion” Ondash earlier this year could have easily shaken his confidence, but the Sarawak native treated them as invaluable lessons instead.
Much of that growth came directly in training, where “Jojo” has humbly soaked up guidance from elite company. His calculated approach carried distinct shades of ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon himself, built on the same poise and patience that have long defined the Thai icon.
Now 28-11, the teenage sensation has rounded out an arsenal that was already incredibly dangerous. With his best years still far ahead of him at 19, that should be a terrifying thought for the rest of the flyweight Muay Thai division.
#2 Wang Junguang Is Strawweight Kickboxing’s Most Intriguing Disruptor
Six years is a massive amount of time to be away from ONE, but “The Warrior” Wang Junguang returned without a single trace of ring rust. The Chinese striker edged reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK via split decision in the evening’s main event, stunningly spoiling the Thai great’s kickboxing return.
This was clearly not the same fighter who last competed in the promotion in 2020. The boxing-heavy attacker of old has integrated heavy kicks, sharp knees, and an awkward rhythm into his game, making him far harder to read than ever before.
That unpredictability posed complex questions even Prajanchai struggled to answer. The PK Saenchai Muaythaigym ace has seen almost everything across more than 400 professional bouts, yet he rarely found a comfortable pace against the 31-year-old.
Beyond the new physical tools, Wang fought with the sheer clarity of a veteran who deeply understood the stakes. After such a long absence, he treated the massive opportunity like one he simply could not afford to waste.
The monumental result also instantly positions Wang as an intriguing potential challenger for reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella. Against one of the most cerebral tacticians in the sport today, Wang’s free-flowing chaos could make for a fascinating stylistic clash.
At 31-7, the Shaolin-trained striker has officially announced himself as the disruptor nobody in the division saw coming.
#3 Olivia Bahsous Is The Real Deal
Olivia “Diamond” Bahsous let her devastating skills silence all the external noise surrounding her rivalry with Malia Weaver. The 16-year-old stopped the American newcomer in the second round of their atomweight Muay Thai clash, moving to a flawless 3-0 in ONE.
The most impressive part of the performance was how little the intense build-up seemed to affect her mental state. Weaver came out with aggressive urgency, but the Canadian phenom completely refused to match that frantic energy, calmly weathering the early storm without forcing anything.
Bahsous then decisively seized control in the clinch and violently closed the show late in round two. Fighters twice her age rarely showcase that kind of disciplined restraint.
The dominant stoppage extended her finishing run to three straight on the global stage. With her record now 18-1, the Cookie Muay Thai and P’Chai Muay Thai product has yet to see a third round in ONE.
Performances of this caliber could soon put her firmly in line for a life-changing US$100,000 ONE main roster contract. More than that, Bahsous is rapidly making a strong case as the absolute future of the women’s atomweight Muay Thai ranks.
She is certainly not alone in that conversation, with fellow rising talents Duangdawnoi “Little Star” Looksaikongdin and Islay Erika Bomogao also aggressively making their mark in the division. Sooner or later, their paths seem destined to cross, and if Friday was any indication, Bahsous will be more than ready when they do.
