Mixed martial arts 

The LION Championship 28 will feature both pro MMA and MMA Duo matches on November 8 on Phú Quốc. Photos courtesy of VMMAF

HÀ NỘI — The LION Championship 28 (LC28) mixed martial art tournament this month will feature a main card match between the young, talented Vietnamese fighter Hà Thế Anh and Zhou Lou, an experienced marital artist from China.

The fights will take place on November 8 on the pearl island of Phú Quốc, located in An Giang Province.

Thế Anh is a new fighter in the MMA community, but he has earned five wins in national events. The 23-year-old has a strong foundation in martial arts, as he has previously secured several medals in national kickboxing, jujitsu and sambo competitions.

Taking part in the pro MMA 68kg category, Thế Anh is aiming for a win, and has said that his entire bonus will be donated to people struggling from the recent natural disasters in different areas of Việt Nam.

Meanwhile Zhou, who is the same age as Thế Anh, has a more impressive record than the host athlete.

He has fought 16 professional international matches, securing 11 wins and five defeats. All of his wins were knockouts or submissions, making his record still more impressive.

Prior to the main card, the MMA Duo format will be back in the octagon with Vietnamese Nguyễn Nguyên Chương and Brazilian Claudio Cautinho of C88 Club facing Chinese pair Shen Long and Shama Yige of the famous Yunnan LiJunLong Fight Club.

The four fighters will simultaneously fight in a cage under two referees' supervision. After ten minutes, the team with more members remaining or with fewer injuries will be the winners.

The bouts taking place in the LION Championship 28.

In another bout, Thai MMA champion Chayut Rojanakat will play Russian Gleb Orcharov in the men's 70kg class.

At the same tournament, Đinh Chí Công will battle Lê Minh Hoàng in the men's MMA Pro 60kg; Đỗ Phúc Hậu will fight Phạm Anh Đức in the men's MMA Pro 65kg and Huỳnh Ngọc Tín will face Nguyễn Thành Thoan in the men's MMA Pro 56kg.

During the event, the organising committee will auction the painting Girl and the Fan by famous artist Bùi Hữu Hùng. All auction proceeds will be donated to the Việt Nam Martial Arts Development Fund to find new MMA talents in the country.

The LC28 is a key activity for Phú Quốc Island's November sport series. Other events include the second VPT Poker Championship, the LION Corona Golf Tournament 2025, a friendly pickleball competition and the 2025 BIM Group IRONMAN 70.3 Phu Quoc. VNS