LION Championship 21: Kicking off the 2025 event series with a new competition format

LION Championship 21 is organized by the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation (VMMAF) and Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Joint Stock Company (VIMMA). Entering its fourth year, LION Championship will have many notable changes when introducing for the first time 4 formats of MMA Striking, MMA Ground Fight, MMA Duo and MMA Gauntlet.

MMA Gauntlet is one of the new competition formats at LION Championship.

The highlight of the event will be the MMA Gauntlet format with the confrontation between MMA clubs from the North and the South. In which, Agoge with three representatives Phan Thanh Tung - Top 2 in the 56kg class, Tran Viet Anh - Promising young fighter of 2024 and rookie Nguyen Cong Tuan, will face off against three representatives from Tank Club including Dang Hoang Minh - Top 7 in the 77kg class, Phan Huy Hoang and rookie Le Nguyen Phuc.

Phan Thanh Tung is considered the best fighter in Agoge's team, having won 4 matches after 5 times in the LION Championship. The fighter born in 1993 possesses the top grappling ability in the 56kg weight class. Meanwhile, the talented Tran Viet Anh has had a series of 3 wins since moving up to the A class. On the other side, the duo Dang Hoang Minh - Phan Huy Hoang are famous for their tenacity and fiery fighting style.

In the MMA Gauntlet format, two teams will send representatives to compete in three rounds. The special feature of this format is that the winner of the previous match has the right to stay and fight the next member of the opposing team, only the losing fighter is eliminated. In addition, the order of the two teams will be announced just before the event takes place. The team that has members left or wins the last match will be the overall winner.

In the MMA Duo format, there will be the appearance of two completely new faces: boxer Nguyen Xuan Phuong, champion of two SEA Games 2019, 2023, and teammate Nguyen Ngoc Thuc - national Kickboxing champion. The two typical faces of Vietnamese Kickboxing will face off against the duo Nguyen Tien Long - Asian MMA Gold Medalist, national Sambo Champion and teammate Nguyen Trung Hai.

MMA Duo rules allow all members of two teams to compete in the ring at the same time for 10 minutes. If a fighter is determined to lose by knockout, submission or surrender, that fighter is disqualified and the match continues with the remaining member and all members of the opposing team. After 10 minutes of competition, the team with more members remaining or with more damage is determined to be the winner.

In the traditional professional MMA format, the focus is on the confrontation between the talented 2003-born Le Huy Hoang - the boxer currently ranked 3rd in the 56kg category and the boxer Le Van Tuan - the boxer famous for his fierce battle with Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in 2022. After two years of training, Van Tuan is assessed to have made remarkable improvements in skills, against a Le Huy Hoang who is full of enthusiasm to get the first title match in the tournament.

The MMA Ground Fight format sees two veterans from opposing backgrounds face off. Martial artist Ninh Hai Anh from Ha Dong Fighters Union with his superb Jiu-Jitsu skills will face off against national wrestler Nguyen Van Linh from Vietnam Top Team.

In the opening match series of the event, the MMA Striking matches will take place from the quarter-finals with the following faces: Le Van Vu vs. Pham Thanh Binh (56kg), Nguyen Van Lam vs. Luu Huy Duc (65kg) and Tran Quang Khai vs. Nguyen Dang Khanh (65kg).

LION Championship 21 will kick off at 7:00 p.m. on April 12 at Tay Ho Stadium, Hanoi .

LION Championship 2025 Schedule:

LION Championship 21 April 12 in Hanoi

LION Championship 22 May 10 in Hanoi

LION Championship 23 June 14 in Ho Chi Minh City

LION Championship 24 July 12 in Hanoi

LION Championship 25 August 9 in Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa

LION Championship 26 September 13 in Hanoi

LION Championship 27 October 11 in Hanoi

LION Championship 28 November 8 in Phu Quoc, Kien Giang

LION Championship 29 December 13 in Hanoi

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/lion-championship-21-khoi-dong-chuoi-su-kien-2025-voi-the-thuc-thi-dau-moi-20250409164950462.htm