Reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion ‘The Tormentor’ Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu of Mongolia will make his first world title defense against undefeated Azerbaijani contender Elbek Alyshov at The Inner Circle 24 on Friday, July 31.
The bout goes down live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, streaming exclusively on live.onefc.com in Asia primetime.
Baatarkhuu’s ascent to the top of the division has been one of the most captivating stories in MMA.
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He earned the belt with a submission finish over former champion Fabricio ‘Wonder Boy’ Andrade at ONE Fight Night 38 in December. His larger-than-life personality helped him reach the finale of Netflix’s hit competition series Physical: Asia alongside Team Mongolia, turning him into a global household name almost overnight.
Now the Mongolian champion faces a challenger who has done nothing but finish people. The 25-year-old Alyshov arrives with a spotless professional record and has made both of his ONE appearances count, submitting Jeremy Pacatiw and Carlo Bumina-ang.
For the champion, a successful defense keeps alive his dream of pursuing two-division gold against ONE featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai.
For Alyshov, dethroning the most popular champion in the division would be the biggest statement of his career.
Johan Ghazali vs. Ramadan Ondash also set for The Inner Circle 24
Joining this main event world title bout is a clash between the promotion’s promising young strikers.
Johan Ghazali has accepted Ramadan Ondash’s call-out. These two will clash in a flyweight Muay Thai three-rounder, which is expected to steal the show.
‘Jojo’ is no stranger to the limelight, already authoring some of the most devastating finishes the promotion has ever seen. Ghazali has redemption in his sights after falling short in his last outing against Shimon Yoshinari.
However, ‘The Scorpion’ brings a legitimate threat, since he can match Ghazali’s raw power and blinding speed. Ondash recently got back in the winning column with a decisive win over Thai heavy-hitter Suriyanlek.
Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
