The Inner Circle 27 Main Event Result: Banluelok Outworks Songchainoi To Steal The Show
Banluelok Sitwatcharachai outworked former ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title challenger Songchainoi “Mini-Hulk” Kiatsongrit across three hard-fought rounds to claim a unanimous decision victory in their atomweight Muay Thai main event at The Inner Circle 27.
Their back-and-forth Asia primetime battle, which streamed exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com on Friday, August 21, delivered on its billing inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The division’s most dangerous knockout artists didn’t take a step back when the bell sounded. Banluelok rattled his Thai compatriot’s chin early with repeated left kicks, while Songchainoi fired off punch combinations to even the score.
As the round progressed, Songchainoi began timing and catching the incoming kicks, countering with big right hands of his own to keep the frame competitive.
Songchainoi threw himself fully into the action in round two, forcing the Rachanon representative to rely on his footwork to evade a barrage of hammering strikes. Still, a big left punch from Banluelok in the closing stages may have been enough to swing the round in his favor.
Banluelok looked to ride his momentum from the first two rounds into the third, banking on his volume of output to carry him across the finish line. But “Mini-Hulk” refused to let up, staying right on top of his foe for the entire round and blasting right hands in search of a finish that never came.
When the scorecards were read, the judges were unanimous in favor of Banluelok, whose gutsy performance made a strong case for a US$100,000 main roster contract. Moreover, the victory pushed the 29-year-old’s record to 91-22.
