3 Reasons To Watch The Inner Circle 29 On September 4
The Inner Circle 29 lands inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this Friday, September 4, providing the global fanbase with another night of world-class martial arts action.
The card streams live in Asia primetime exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com. It carries five pivotal bouts across Muay Thai and kickboxing, featuring a mix of established names chasing bigger opportunities and hungry newcomers looking to make their mark.
With so much on the line across every matchup, here are three reasons why The Inner Circle 29 demands your attention.
#1 A Main Event Built For Fireworks
Thai standout Ferrari Fairtex steps into the main event spotlight against Azerbaijan’s Akif “King” Guluzada in a highly anticipated bantamweight kickboxing showdown, and both men bring styles that promise non-stop action.
The 29-year-old Thai makes his kickboxing debut inside ONE Championship after building a commendable résumé in Muay Thai, impressing against a wide range of stylists along the way. Even on nights when results have not gone his way, the Fairtex Training Center representative has shown a knack for grinding out difficult wins against the toughest tests — a trait that should serve him well against a live-wire opponent like Guluzada.
The 21-year-old Azerbaijani phenom first turned heads with three consecutive wins on ONE Friday Fights, capped by a spinning elbow knockout of Puengluang Baanramba that landed him the coveted US$100,000 main roster contract. He kept the run going with victories over Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi and Sean “The One” Climaco to move to 5-0 in the promotion, before dropping a closely contested unanimous decision to Johan “Panda Kick” Estupinan this past June.
Stylistically, this sets up beautifully. Ferrari’s controlled, patient approach designed to wear opponents down over the distance collides head-to-head with Guluzada’s forward pressure, speed, and one-punch knockout threat. Put those ingredients together, and an explosive clash is practically guaranteed.
#2 Lumpinee Royalty Takes Center Stage
Two Lumpinee Stadium World Champions feature at The Inner Circle 29, starting with Mongkoldetlek Por Pim-on, who steps back into action against newcomer Yassir “Salvador” Rassafi in a bantamweight Muay Thai clash.
The 31-year-old is no stranger to ONE, having posted a 4-1 run on the global stage between 2019 and 2022. That stretch included a win over former ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri and a full three-round battle against now-reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty.
Since returning, Mongkoldetlek has picked up back-to-back wins over Utkirzhov Khamidov and Ruslan Tuktarov on the weekly series in 2026. A third straight victory here would put him firmly in the running for a life-changing main roster contract.
Sharing that Lumpinee Stadium World Champion distinction on the card is Rak Erawan, who meets Hern Looksuan in an atomweight Muay Thai clash. The 25-year-old opened his ONE run with a 4-1 stretch, though the level of opposition has only gotten tougher since.
Context matters, however. Three of those recent setbacks came against reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka and former World Title challenger Songchainoi “Mini-Hulk” Kiatsongrit — hardly a soft schedule.
A win over the 24-year-old Looksuan, who carries a 45-7 record, would go a long way toward getting Rak’s promotional campaign back on track.
#3 Knockout Artists Take Over
Finishing power runs deep across The Inner Circle 29.
Guluzada has notched two of his five promotional victories via knockout against Samingdam Looksuan and Puengluang Baanramba. Down in the atomweight Muay Thai bout, Rak and Hern combine for eight finishes under the ONE banner, making their clash arguably the most explosive individual pairing on the card.
Both men have shown a willingness to sit down on their strikes rather than settle for a decision, a recipe that rarely disappoints.
Elsewhere on the weekly spectacle, 19-year-old Songpandin Chor Kaewwiset looks to make it two finishes in a row in a flyweight Muay Thai clash against Petsangwan Sor Samarngarment. Petsangwan made a statement of his own with a first-round knockout in his last outing inside the mecca of Muay Thai this past July. Neither fighter figures to be content letting this one go the distance.
Rounding out the card, Australian prospect Isaiah Badato returns to the ring looking to build on a memorable promotional debut — a 74-second finish of Retsu Sashida — when he faces former two-division Shoot Boxing Champion Kyo Kawakami.
The Japanese promotional debutant brings a wealth of experience from beyond ONE, giving the 21-year-old a genuine step up in competition as he valiantly looks to keep his knockout streak alive.
