ONE Championship

Petnamkhong 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.

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Conor McGregor's rematch with Max Holloway was a bit of a succinct yet catastrophic affair, and a UFC Hall of Famer who has connections to both has offered his thoughts on that July prizefight. UFC 329 saw the return of McGregor to the cage after half a decade on the sidelines due to injury. But his International Fight Week comeback against ‘Blessed' Holloway also saw him suffer another injury inside of live competition. Frankie Edgar also has the experience of having fought Max Holloway, as the former fell short to the latter in a bid for UFC gold.

Edgar and Conor McGregor are connected by virtue of both being interwoven into that rich lineage of UFC lightweight champions throughout history. When asked for his thoughts on Max Holloway's rematch with Conor McGregor at UFC 329 and the inauspicious nature of what transpired there with ‘The Notorious' sustaining a quick injury, Edgar said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“Yeah, it's just unfortunate. It just sucks. Nothing good about that outcome for either guy. But that's just the fight game. Crazy stuff happens all the time. No one anticipated that. You got to feel for Conor in that moment. That's just how it flies. It sucks. Life sucks sometimes [laughs].â€

Conor McGregor sought for UFC Dublin super show by Ian Garry

Conor McGregor has largely had a tough go of things in the 2020's, and while his return timeline is clouded by the nature of his UFC 329 injury, a UFC 330 headliner is still keen on sharing spots on a future card with him. The referenced fighter is fellow Irish mixed martial artist Ian Machado Garry, who challenges Islam Makhachev for the welterweight crown this weekend in Philadelphia.

Touching upon his vision for an Emerald Isle mega event that the Ultimate Fighting Championship could put on, Garry said [via Bloody Elbow],

“I've been talking about trying to get the UFC back to Ireland since I got here. It hasn't happened, and I understand why, I understand reasons, logistics, whatever it is. But when I get this belt I have a lot more power to try and dictate where we fight. I have a lot more power to try and get us back and obviously there was always speculation of Conor McGregor having a Croke Park event.â€

“Next month, one of the greatest fighters in Irish history competes at Croke Park [Katie Taylor]. If that event goes smoothly and successfully, why couldn't the UFC do an event where maybe me and Conor are main and co-main in Croke Park. We don't need anyone else as long as I am champion of the world and we bring a Carlos Prates or a Shavkat Rakhmonov or Islam Makhachev for a rematch. Why not?â€

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Ian Garry evidently rubs some people within the broader MMA community in a particular way and that even extends to some of his fellow combative compatriots from Ireland. The combatant in question is Will Fleury who touched on Garry's UFC welterweight title fight at UFC 330 versus sitting champ Islam Makhachev before his own title clash during a Bowks Talking Bouts interview.

The Oktagon MMA heavyweight champion was a two division OKMMA titleholder but Fleury is now on the heels of losing his light heavyweight crown to Makhmud Muradov in his most recent contest. Fleury had mentioned during his BTB appearance some of the public perception conflicts with MMA in Ireland and how many civilians over there perceive the sport poorly because of Conor McGregor's public image.

When asked if Garry could be a fighter who embodies more of a positive partisan image of an MMA fighter for Irish people to latch onto, Fleury said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“Yeah, it's another funny one. Like as in; I really want to like Ian [laughter]. I really want to get behind him cuz I want to support the Irish fighters. But he makes it f***ing hard sometimes. So like I'm good. Like I would love; like he's done great things in fighting. That's the funny thing. It's like, man, he's gone out there and he's beaten guys. Like, if you look at the Carlos Prates fight and like I want to be able to get behind him and I want him to give me something to be able to get behind.â€

“I'm hoping in the build up to this, we'll see a little bit more like genuine talk from him because like I just feel like a lot of the time when he's speaking, it's not from his heart… But like I have no issue with Ian Garry. Like look, I suppose it seems like Irish fighters aren't really supporting each other right now, but I just feel like the two guys, we have a lot of brilliant fighters and they're getting very little recognition.â€

“Okay, none of those have gone and done the things that Conor [McGregor] and Ian have gone and done, but like; and I don't want to lump Conor and Ian into the same boat because they're very different people. But I feel like the values of martial arts are not being represented that well by some of the bigger stars out of the country [laughter]. Yeah, look, I don't want to be some f***ing puritan either, but it is just like I want to get behind Ian Garry.â€

“I really do. He hasn't done anything that would ever stop like from; he hasn't done anything yet that would be like, oh, I'm never going to support this guy. But just a lot of the takes that I've seen him give online. A lot of the interviews I've seen, it's just like it doesn't seem like you're being sincere. It doesn't feel like this is something I can really buy into and put my heart into. Like really be like, “Alright, come on Ian. You're our guy. Let's go. I'm finding it hard. I'll be honest.â€

Ian Garry isn't “being who he is†per Fleury: “It's just the lack of being genuineâ€

While trying to articulate a balanced take on Garry's fighting skillset but also addressing how his public persona comes across to him, Fleury stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“But in fairness, he's a good martial artist. We can't say he's not. It's just the lack of being genuine and the lack of like just standing for f***ing what a good martial artist should represent. Look, I'm being too up me own arse with this stuff. But like I think you owe the fans to be who you are. I don't feel like Ian Garry is being who he is.â€

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