3 Top Reasons To Watch The Inner Circle 22 On July 17
ONE Championship returns to Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium with a card guaranteed to deliver relentless action from the opening bell to the main event.
The Inner Circle 22, streaming live in Asia primetime on Friday, July 17, hosts a stacked five-fight lineup spanning kickboxing, submission grappling, and Muay Thai, available exclusively to subscribers at live.onefc.com.
Here are three undeniable reasons combat sports enthusiasts must tune in to this week’s edition of The Inner Circle.
#1 A World Title Rematch Four Years In The Making
After delivering one of the most breathtaking kickboxing clashes of 2022, reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella and Zhang Peimian are finally set to author the second chapter of their rivalry.
The then-undefeated Team Di Bella Kickboxing standout narrowly secured the decision over the hardy Chinese star, who refused to yield throughout an action-packed 15-minute war in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Di Bella has been nothing short of sensational since that defining night. He added four more victories to his promotional slate, including a masterclass five-round defense against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and a hard-fought unification win over Prajanchai PongSuphan PK — the very man who handed him the lone loss of his career.
The 29-year-old now carries a stellar 15-1 record into this rematch, remaining every bit the calculated technician whose high-IQ striking makes him one of the most complex puzzles to solve inside the ring.
Zhang’s road back to a second crack at the gold has been considerably rockier. The Chinese standout endured a grueling stretch, securing just two wins in five outings following that heartbreaking defeat. Rather than fade away, however, the 22-year-old clawed his way back into World Title contention with a pair of absolute statement performances over Thongpoon PK Saenchai and “El Jefe” Ellis Badr Barboza.
Four years removed from their instant classic, both men return to the same stage driven by unfinished business. Di Bella looks to prove the technical gap between them has only widened, while the Shengli Fight Club warrior aims to show the teenager who nearly dethroned him has matured into an entirely different threat.
#2 The P4P Queen Of Women’s Grappling Returns
Few names in women’s grappling can hold a candle to IBJJF No-Gi World Champion Helena Crevar, whose sheer dominance has completely redefined what is possible for her age.
The 19-year-old superstar — trained and promoted to black belt by the legendary John Danaher — has already established herself as the absolute gold standard of the sport. She seeks to add another clinical submission to her already remarkable resume at The Inner Circle 22.
Crevar carries a staggering 355-7 record into the matchup, having announced her global stage arrival with a slick estima lock finish against Teshya Noelani Alo at ONE Fight Night 39 this past January. She possesses the elite, high-level experience that most competitors twice her age never come close to accumulating.
The Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu representative rarely encounters a puzzle on the mats she cannot swiftly solve. However, that theory will be tested to its absolute limit against a surging debutant with every intention of derailing the hype train in their openweight submission grappling battle.
Paige Ivette Clymer arrives on the global stage from San Diego’s ultra-competitive grappling scene, having captured IBJJF gold at purple belt before earning her black belt in 2024. Her relentless, pressure-heavy style — forged through a grueling background in water polo and competitive bodybuilding long before she ever stepped onto the mats — makes her a highly dangerous threat to anyone in the world, regardless of reputation.
That fascinating collision of styles sets up an elite chess match. Crevar’s suffocating top game and ruthless finishing instincts will be tested against an opponent who thrives on wearing down world-class competition through sheer physical attrition.
A dominant victory for Crevar pushes her one step closer to a dream shot at ONE gold, while a win for Clymer would instantly rank among the biggest submission grappling upsets in recent memory.
#3 A Bounce-Back Battle For World Title Contention
Two elite bantamweight kickboxing contenders enter this pivotal matchup with the exact same mission: return to the win column and immediately inject themselves back into the World Title conversation.
Yuki Yoza rode a spectacular three-fight winning streak against world-class opposition — including Thai maestros “The Kicking Machine” Superlek and Petchtanong Petchfergus — before running into reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty at ONE SAMURAI 1.
The setback in Tokyo this past April stung, but the former K-1 Champion possesses more than enough technical quality to remind the division exactly why he originally earned a shot at 26 pounds of gold.
Ben “The Problem” Woolliss steps into this high-stakes tilt carrying an identical chip on his shoulder. The Grimsby native delivered a knockout for the ages in his promotional bow, devastating former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker in less than two minutes.
Unfortunately, he failed to maintain that massive momentum in his sophomore outing against former divisional king Petchtanong. That said, the resilient Englishman has actively used that defeat as fuel heading into his toughest tactical test yet.
Both men intrinsically understand exactly what is on the line. A victory here could thrust the winner directly into the thick of the bantamweight kickboxing title picture. That landscape will soon come into much sharper focus, with Haggerty already confirmed to defend his crown against former kingpin Hiroki Akimoto at ONE SAMURAI 4 this October.
Whoever gets their hand raised at The Inner Circle 22 will be watching that Tokyo main event very closely, fully aware that a statement performance on July 17 could set up a direct path to the winner.
