MMA
Petnamkhong's second main event carries far bigger stakes than the first
Published
3 weeks agoon
ONE ChampionshipPetnamkhong Sor Maneekhot headlines his second straight card against Wanchainoi Pongsuphan PK in a strawweight Muay Thai main event at The Inner Circle 26, streaming live in Asia primetime this Friday, August 14, from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. A win would push the 22-year-old Laotian-Thai star closer to a US$100,000 main roster contract, the same prize his opponent is chasing on the other side of the ring.
Petnamkhong enters as a clear underdog against a 101-fight veteran from PK Saenchai Muaythaigym, a gap in experience he openly acknowledges without letting it shake his confidence.
“I admit that on paper, I might be the underdog in terms of technical skills and experience. But the one thing I am never an underdog in is my heart,†he said.
Petnamkhong chases redemption on a bigger stage at The Inner Circle 26
The stakes carry extra weight given what it took Petnamkhong to get back to this position. Three consecutive losses between August 2024 and February 2025 forced him into a deliberate break from competition to rebuild his confidence before returning.
Every fight since that break has ended in his favor, and a win over a veteran of Wanchainoi's caliber would represent the clearest validation yet that the turnaround is real.
“This comeback happened because of our team. Even though we are a small team, everyone worked together with unity and dedication, which pushed me to bounce back,†he said.
Beyond the contract and the record, Petnamkhong has said representing Laos on ONE Championship's global stage carries a significance that goes well beyond his own career trajectory.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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Fares Ziam plans to shift to the U.S. to train with Justin Gaethje’s team
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23 minutes agoon
September 4, 2026
Ziam plans to move to the United States to develop his
game.
Ziam is scheduled to fight fellow Frenchman Alex Sola in the
co-main event of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship's event in France on Sept. 5. He
did most of his camp in Denver under Justin
Gaethje's head coach, Trevor Wittman, and eventually wants to
move stateside.
Fares Ziam plans to move his family to Denver to develop his
UFC career
Ziam says that while he didn't previously have a head coach, he
believes he needs one at the highest level. He eventually plans to
move with his family to Denver to train under Wittman, whom he
considers the best head coach for himself.
“My plan is to move with my family to the U.S. to be in Denver,â€
Ziam told MMA Junkie. “Two to three years in Denver and forget. For
me, it's important to evolve in this game, to be focused. Before, I
didn't get any head coach; I had a team around me. But at this
level, we need a head coach, a guy who is looking out for you. For
me, Trevor is the best for me.â€
Ziam first met Wittman while helping Gaethje as a sparring partner
for his win over Paddy
Pimblett earlier this year. When he asked their common manager,
Ali Abdelaziz, about training with Gaethje, Abdelaziz said that
Wittman doesn't accept everybody. However, Wittman accepted Ziam as
he liked what he saw during Gaethje's camp for the Pimblett
fight.
“I asked my manager, Ali, ‘What do you think if I go train with
Justin?' He said, ‘It's a very good idea, but Trevor doesn't take
just anyone,'†Ziam added. “But after me and him had a good
feeling, he said I am a good person. Because he saw something in
me, he took me in this gym.â€
Ziam looks to return to winning ways at
UFC Paris.
Fares Ziam
explains how training under Trevor Wittman came together, what he's
learned, and what it's been like training with Justin
Gaethje 👊 (via @Farah_Hannoun)
pic.twitter.com/L7cRJoCAJx— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie)
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MMA
Movsar Evloev takes aim at women’s MMA: ‘It’s so hard’ to watch
Published
2 hours agoon
September 4, 2026
Evloev is unimpressed with women's mixed martial arts.
Evloev recently revealed that he finds it hard to watch women's
MMA. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight claims to have
only ever enjoyed one women's MMA bout and is curious about the
viewership numbers an all-women promotion would garner.
UFC 333 title challenger Movsar Evloev questions the appeal of
women's MMA
Evloev was impressed with Rose
Namajunas' title defense against Joanna
Jedrzejczyk in their rematch at UFC
223 in 2018. However, every other bout is a challenging viewing
experience, according to the unbeaten Russian. He jokes that the
UFC should start a separate league for women's MMA and check its
viewership.
“I don't watch women's fights,†Evloev told MMA Junkie. “I can't
watch; it's so hard. One fight I watched and liked was [Joanna]
Jedrzejczyk and [Rose] Namajunas, the second one… I don't watch a
lot of fights, but all the fights I watched of women weren't good.
Maybe they need a separate UFC just for women. And we will see who
watches that.â€
Many elite male fighters have criticized women's MMA over the
years. Khabib
Nurmagomedov has said that women don't belong in the brutal
sport, barring some exceptional few like the legendary Amanda
Nunes and Valentina
Shevchenko. Meanwhile, Sean
Strickland, who doesn't like women's sports in general,
believes an average man can beat Nunes.
Evloev (20-0) has finally earned his long-overdue featherweight
title shot against Alexander
Volkanovski (28-4). He challenges Volkanovski for the title at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
While Evloev criticizes women's MMA because of inaction, he has
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