Pham Van Nam is the reigning champion. After his first title defense against Dinh Van Huong at LION Championship 8 in 2023, Pham Van Nam successfully retained his position as the first champion of LION Championship in the 56kg weight class after only 3 rounds. At the upcoming LION Championship 23, he will enter his second title defense.
If he continues to win, the boxer who is currently on a four-fight winning streak in the tournament will become the first person to successfully defend his title three times in a row. In addition, Pham Van Nam will keep the championship belt permanently according to the tournament's regulations.
Pham Van Nam (nickname Nam Chou), born in 1992, from Quang Ninh, is a familiar name in the Vietnamese martial arts world when he participated in many domestic tournaments with impressive achievements such as the gold medal at the 2023 Club Championship, the silver medal at the 2022 National Sports Festival,... On the international stage, Pham Van Nam made a strong impression when he won 2 victories at the ONE Championship (2024) and Master of Fights Championship (2023).
On the other side of the ring, Le Van Tuan is holding the top 3 in the 56kg weight class after his second consecutive submission victory at LION Championship 21, earning him the right to challenge Pham Van Nam. With his improved performance at LION Championship, Le Van Tuan is considered a formidable unknown. Especially at LION Championship 21, he impressed with the D'Arce choke, which appeared for the first time in Vietnamese MMA. The confrontation between Pham Van Nam and Le Van Tuan at LC23 is the second title defense of LION Championship in the 2025 season.
At the pre-event weigh-in, Le Van Tuan did not reach the standard weight in the first weigh-in (56.6kg - 0.6kg over the regulation). However, the boxer born in 1994 continued to successfully cut weight at 55.95kg in the second weigh-in. Therefore, the title match at LION Championship 23 will take place as scheduled without any changes.
What is special about this match is probably that both fighters have worked many jobs to pursue their passion for martial arts. Before shining on the mixed martial arts (MMA) stage, both Pham Van Nam and Le Van Tuan used to work as motorbike taxi drivers.
Besides the championship match, LION Championship 23 also brings many notable matches. Among them, the match between Quang Van Minh and Mikhail Gritsaneko promises to be explosive with both of their strong fighting styles. The match between Dinh Van Huong and Jhaymie Gayman is an opportunity for Vietnamese boxers to assert themselves against international opponents.
The only women's match between Karina Veis (Russia) and Dao Thi Nhu Quynh (Vietnam) also promises to be exciting. While the Russian female boxer is experienced in wrestling, the Vietnamese representative stands out with her strength and brave fighting spirit, promising to create a dramatic match.
According to the plan of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation, the LION Championship 23 event is scheduled to take place on June 14 at Rach Mieu Stadium (Ho Chi Minh City). However, this competition venue is being renovated to serve the organization of the 10th National Sports Congress in 2026, so Tay Ho Stadium ( Hanoi) was chosen as the venue for the event.
Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/cuu-tai-xe-xe-cong-nghe-va-co-hoi-giu-dai-vo-dich-mma-vinh-vien-i771479/
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