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Records collide as Songchainoi and Banluelok both chase a way to ONE World Title

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Records collide as Songchainoi and Banluelok both chase a way to ONE World Title

Two fighters who both have a story with the same champion are about to settle something between themselves first.

Songchainoi Kiatsongrit headlines an atomweight Muay Thai main event against Banluelok Sitwatcharachai at The Inner Circle 27, streaming live from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, August 21. Songchainoi carries a 60-18 career record and pushed reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka the full five rounds at ONE SAMURAI 1 this past April before dropping the decision.

Banluelok has built his ONE Championship tenure almost entirely on finishes, stopping Nuatoranee Jitmuangnon, Tubtimthong IngfahhotelUbon, and Petbanrai Singha Mawynn before a third-round knockout of Rak Erawan at ONE Friday Fights 157. His only promotional defeat came against the same man who denied Songchainoi a decision.

Songchainoi and Banluelok share Nadaka history

That shared history with Nadaka gives Friday's main event an added layer, with both fighters carrying real evidence they can compete with the division's best despite their identical result against the champion.

The co-main event pits Komawut FA Group, working to reverse a rough recent stretch, against Kyaw Swar Win, a Lethwei practitioner from Myanmar coming off a win over Slatan Jitmuangnon at ONE Friday Fights 158. Two additional bouts, a lightweight Muay Thai clash and a flyweight kickboxing matchup, round out the card.

Whichever man leaves Lumpinee Stadium victorious in the main event will have a legitimate claim to the next World Title opportunity, having proven he can hang with Nadaka over the sport's full five-round championship distance or finish opponents at a rate few others in the division can match. Both men enter August 21 with far more on the line than a simple step up the rankings.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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MMA

Yair Rodriguez out, Jose Delgado steps in against Jean Silva at Noche UFC 4

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Yair Rodriguez out, Jose Delgado steps in against Jean Silva at Noche UFC 4
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship's fourth edition of Noche UFC
reportedly has a new main event.

Jean
Silva was originally scheduled to face Yair
Rodriguez in the main event at
Noche UFC 4 on Sept. 12 at the Desert Diamond Arena in
Glendale, Arizona. However, per a new report by Guilherme Cruz, Rodriguez has pulled out for unknown
reasons and will now be replaced by Jose
Delgado.

Jose Delgado replaces Yair Rodriguez in Jean Silva's Noche UFC
4 main event

Delgado (12-2) is 4-1 in the UFC since making his Octagon debut in
2024. Coming off decision wins over Andre Fili
and Austin
Bashi, he will face his biggest step up in competition by far
against Silva (17-3).

Meanwhile, Silva is coming off a decision win over Arnold
Allen, rebounding from his lone UFC loss to Diego
Lopes. “Lord†had finished all five of his previous UFC
opponents before losing to Lopes. The Brazilian reacted to the
change of opponent on X.

“Hunter took care of everything, we have a new target,†Silva
posted on X. “New opponent, same date, same goal.â€

Rodriguez (20-5) is now facing backlash for yet another withdrawal.
“El Pantera†hasn't fought since a win over Patricio
Freire last April, which saw him rebound from consecutive
stoppage losses to Alexander
Volkanovski and Brian
Ortega.

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MMA

Joshua Van reflects on knockout loss that changed his life

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Joshua Van reflects on knockout loss that changed his life
Joshua
Van hasn’t forgotten the night Charles
Johnson handed him the first loss of his
Ultimate Fighting Championship career.

Over two years after being stopped by Johnson, Van has gone from
prospect to UFC flyweight champion. The 24-year-old will return to
the Octagon on Sept. 19, when he rematches former champion Alexandre
Pantoja in the UFC
331 main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Joshua Van details how KO loss to Charles Johnson ‘humbled'
him

Van was stopped by Johnson via a third-round knockout in July 2024,
a setback that remains the second and most recent loss of his
professional career. He has since won seven straight fights and
captured the flyweight championship from Pantoja before defending
it against Tatsuro
Taira.

Speaking to Paramount+, Van explained how the defeat changed his
approach to training and discipline.

“Oh, for sure. I want to stay active,†Van said. “Like I say, that
loss kind of humbled me in a way. So, I never want to taste defeat
again. So, my work ethic that I put in the gym is just different
from that day on.â€

Van said that he doesn’t believe he needed to completely overhaul
his fighting style after the loss. Instead, he said the focus was
on remaining himself and avoiding the mistakes that preceded the
Johnson bout.

“Going into that camp, there’s a lot of things that I did that I
shouldn’t have done,†Van added. “Stuff like that, but there’s no
excuse… He beat me fair and square. And it humbled me to become a
better fighter.â€

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MMA

UFC 332 adds four bouts as Salt Lake City card takes shape

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UFC 332 adds four bouts as Salt Lake City card takes shape
The lineup for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship's next trip to Utah is taking
shape.

Four bouts have been added to UFC 332,
scheduled for Oct. 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Notably, no
championship bouts have been announced for the card as yet, despite
the title fights for
UFC 333 already locked in and made public.

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Payton Talbott and Johnny Walker vs.
Mick Parkin join UFC 332

Payton
Talbott (11-1) will look to build on the biggest win of his
career after defeating former two-division champion Henry
Cejudo by unanimous decision in December last year. The
27-year-old will take on another former UFC champ, Deiveson
Figueiredo (25-7-1), in his next bout. Talbott has won his last
two fights since suffering the lone defeat of his career to
Raoni
Barcelos.

Meanwhile, Figueiredo will attempt to halt a two-fight skid. The
former 125-pound champion has dropped four of his past five bouts,
with his lone victory in that stretch coming via split decision
against Montel
Jackson.

Also joining the UFC 332 card is a heavyweight clash between
Johnny
Walker (22-10) and Mick Parkin
(10-1). Both fighters enter the matchup coming off losses. Walker
is committing to a move up to heavyweight after a turbulent run at
205 pounds.

An explosive clash of strikers has also been confirmed for the
card, with Ateba
Abega Gautier (11-1) set to square off against Roman
Kopylov (15-5). Furthermore, Damian
Pinas, who competed at
UFC 329, takes on Andrey
Pulyaev.

Other previously confirmed matchups for the card include the return
of former title challenger Marvin
Vettori and Court
McGee's retirement bout.

The latest UFC 332 lineup, as of Aug. 18, is as follows:

Deiveson
Figueiredo vs. Payton
Talbott
Mick
Parkin vs. Johnny
Walker
Ateba
Abega Gautier vs. Roman
Kopylov
Damian
Pinas vs. Andrey
Pulyaev
Ismail
Naurdiev vs. Marvin
Vettori
Alden
Coria vs. Imanol
Rodriguez
Court
McGee vs. Eric
Nolan

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