The circus is heading back to Bangkok. ONE Championship has locked in the lineup for The Inner Circle 22 on July 17 at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium. It is a card built on bad blood, prodigies, and guys who simply refuse to die.
At the top of the marquee, Jonathan Di Bella defends his strawweight kickboxing strap against Zhang Peimian. It is a rematch four years in the making. Their first dance was pure theater. Di Bella, the Montreal legacy kid with a ridiculous work rate, took the belt. But he had to walk through hell to get it. Zhang, a farm boy from Guangxi who traded harvesting sugar cane for punching people in the face, was winning that fight. He had it in the bag. Then, with 60 seconds left on the clock, Di Bella landed a head kick that changed everything. Zhang is older now. He says he is wiser. We will see.
The co-main features Helena Crevar. She is 19. Her record is a ridiculous 355-7, with 315 submissions. Let those numbers sink in. The Gordon Ryan protege is the top-ranked female no-gi grappler on earth, and she is hunting another quick tap. Standing in her way is Paige Ivette Clymer. The 33-year-old San Diego black belt is a grinder who thrives on pressure and heel hooks. It is a classic youth-versus-experience puzzle.
Further down, Yuki Yoza tries to rebuild. The former K-1 champ had his 12-fight streak snapped by Jonathan Haggerty in April. To get back to the top, he has to get past Ben Woolliss. Woolliss is a walking miracle. Doctors told him a chronic illness would end his career. He lost 15 kilos, ignored the medical advice, and now trains out of Bali. He is dangerous because he has already survived worse than anything Yoza can throw at him.
The full card also features Kompikart PK Saenchai taking on Mustafa Al-Tekreeti in lightweight Muay Thai action, and Sonrak Fairtex squaring off against Wuttikrai Wor Chakrawut.
