3 Explosive Reasons To Watch The Inner Circle 38 On November 13
ONE Championship returns to Bangkok’s famed Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, November 13, with an action-packed night of Muay Thai at The Inner Circle 38, streaming live and exclusively for members at live.onefc.com in Asia primetime.
Five bouts are on the bill, topped by two quarterfinals of the 2026-2027 ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix featuring two living legends and two young phenoms. All four will be chasing a place in the semifinals.
Here are three explosive reasons The Inner Circle 38 is unmissable this Friday.
Living Legends Rodtang And Nong-O Finally Meet In The Ring
Two of the most accomplished Muay Thai World Champions in ONE Championship history will share the ring after waiting nearly a year. The #2-ranked contender Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon takes on #3-ranked Nong-O Hama in a Grand Prix quarterfinal bout, and for Rodtang it is a dream matchup against the man he idolized as a kid.
The fight was supposed to happen at ONE 173 last November, when former longtime ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang and former longtime ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O were booked for the vacant flyweight belt. Rodtang made weight but fell ill, was taken to the hospital, and withdrew. Nong-O missed weight after failing hydration, and the title fight was scrapped.
Both have been through the fire since. Rodtang suffered a fifth-round TKO against Takeru Segawa in their ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title rematch, the first time he had been stopped in ONE. Nong-O was knocked out by Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev in March while challenging for the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title, then bounced back with a win over fellow Thai great Kongthoranee Sor Sommai in their trilogy three months later.
Rodtang needs a statement win to get back on track and keep his Grand Prix run alive. Nong-O can hand the sport’s most popular megastar a rare defeat, and either man who wins takes a big step toward the semifinals.
Shimon And Ramadan Bring That Young-Gun Energy
The quarterfinal between #4-ranked Shimon Yoshinari and #5-ranked Ramadan Ondash pits two of the youngest stars in the division against each other. Both have the firepower to threaten anyone in the field.
Shimon, a former WBC Muay Thai World Champion and cousin of ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari, is 27-1 and has not lost since debuting in ONE in late 2024. The 22-year-old Japanese slayer earned his US$100,000 contract and a global roster spot after beating Johan Ghazali for his fifth promotional win in April. His biggest moment came in mid-September, when he knocked out Suablack Tor Pran49 in front of his home crowd.
Ondash is every bit the revelation. The 20-year-old Lebanese knockout artist is 14-4 and has earned his own contract after four spectacular wins at strawweight. A close loss to Aliff Sor Dechapan, now the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion, sent him up to flyweight, where he has beaten both Suriyanlek Por Yenying and Ghazali.
Shimon wants to extend his flawless ONE run. “The Scorpion” wants to stay unbeaten at flyweight and climb the rankings. Only one can book a semifinal spot.
Six-Figure ONE Contracts Are Up For Grabs
Beyond the two high-profile Grand Prix quarterfinals, several fighters have a chance to turn a strong showing into a life-changing US$100,000 contract and a place on ONE Championship’s global roster.
Thai veteran PTT Apichart Farm and Moroccan firecracker Hamza Rachid collide in a bantamweight Muay Thai showdown. PTT owns a 114-25 record and is looking to rebound from a tough loss. Rachid has scored two knockouts in ONE Friday Fights, and a third finish against a seasoned Thai could seal the deal.
Meanwhile, Adam “El Capitano” Benwarwar also fights at bantamweight against Lenny Blasi. The 23-year-old lost his ONE debut but has since won by knockout, including a 52-second demolition of Kendu Irving earlier this year. Another highlight-reel finish could earn him the coveted contract.
Thai dynamo Banluelok Sitwatcharachai opens the night against Mya Lone Chaw in an atomweight Muay Thai matchup. Banluelok has six ONE victories, including a win over ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title challenger Songchainoi Kiatsongrit in his most recent fight, and rides a three-fight streak into Lumpinee. A solid showing could earn him the six-figure deal.
