July 24, 2026 – Bangkok, Thailand: ONE Championship (ONE) thrilled the packed Lumpinee Stadium with another explosive card at The Inner Circle 23, which aired exclusively for members at live.onefc.com.
In the main event, 22-year-old Aliff Sor Dechapan made history as Malaysia’s first-ever ONE World Champion, stopping legendary icon Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in the fifth round to capture the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.
The bout opened as a highly technical chess match. While the former two-division, two-sport World Champion Sam-A utilized his elite timing and championship experience to navigate the early going, Aliff leveraged his height and reach advantage. By the third stanza, the Thai-Malaysian standout began to dictate the pace, remaining elusive while catching Sam-A with slick boxing counters and heavy combinations.
The final round saw the surging 22-year-old detonate a massive right-hand counter to drop Sam-A. Aliff then moved in to close the show, unleashing a devastating head kick and a blistering three-punch combination to secure the stoppage and etch his name in the record books.
In the co-main event, seven-time Muay Thai World Champion “The Angel Warrior” Panpayak Jitmuangnon looked every bit an elite fighter, delivering a striking masterclass to score a unanimous decision over Anuar Cisneros in their bantamweight kickboxing clash.
The two strikers initiated the action from the outside, but it was Panpayak who immediately established his dominance. “The Angel Warrior” blasted Cisneros with his signature body kicks, echoing loud thuds through the arena that instantly ignited the pro-Thai crowd.
Though Cisneros attempted to close the distance and unload heavy hooks in the second stanza, Panpayak neutralized the forward pressure with teeps and leg attacks, ultimately punctuating the frame with a crisp one-two to the chin.
While the incredibly durable Mexican somehow survived to hear the final bell, Panpayak easily cruised to a shutout on the judges’ scorecards.
The Inner Circle 23 Results
Aliff Sor Dechapan def. Sam-A Gaiyanghadao via KO (right punch) at 1:09 of round five (ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship)Panpayak Jitmuangnon def. Anuar Cisneros via unanimous decision (kickboxing – bantamweight)Michel Dirlenbach def. Mahan Fotouhi via unanimous decision (Muay Thai – lightweight)Ryujin Nasukawa def. Thongpoon PK Saenchai via TKO (punches) at 2:00 of round two (kickboxing – strawweight)Liu Junchao def. Kosei Yoshida via unanimous decision (kickboxing – flyweight)
