The LION Championship 26 (LC26) will take place at Tay Ho Gymnasium in Hanoi on September 13, with the spotlight on the debut of World WBC Muay Thai Champion Truong Cao Minh Phat, who will square off against Irish fighter Aaron Clarke in the 61kg MMA Striking category.
The LION Championship 26 (LC26) takes place at Tay Ho Gymnasium in Hanoi on September 13, 2025. (Photo published by VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) 𒀰– The LION Championship 26 (LC26) will take place at Tay Ho Gymnasium in Hanoi on September 13, with the spotlight on the debut of World WBC Muay Thai Champion Truong Cao Minh Phat, who will square off against Irish fighter Aaron Clarke in the 61kg MMA Striking category.
Born in 1995, Phat has emerged as one of Vietnam’s leading Muay Thai fighters in recent years. His career highlights include finishing runner-up at Thailand’s Super Champ tournament and clinching the prestigious WBC Muay Thai World Championship title.
The highly anticipated bout with Clarke is part of LION Championship’s broader strategy to showcase Vietnam’s elite fighters against formidable international opponents, while also highlighting the rising popularity of the innovative MMA Striking format.
In addition to Minh Phat’s debut, LC26 will feature a line-up of fighters competing in both traditional MMA and MMA Striking, with Cambodian fighters returning to the cage for this event.
All matches at LION Championship 26 will be contested under two formats: MMA Striking and MMA Pro./.
The Vietnamese contingent comprises eight members, including four athletes and three coaches led by Tong Thi Ngoc Hoa, VMMAF Deputy General Secretary and Chief of Office.
MMA tournaments have been organised regularly in many cities and provinces, but since the establishment of the Vietnam MMA Federation (VMMAF) in 2020, this is the first official national championship for clubs.
Held on September 13-14, ManiFiesta – the annual festival of solidarity organised by the Workers' Party of Belgium – drew tens of thousands of participants from across Belgium and neighbouring countries. Alongside music, debates and cultural exchanges, Vietnam made a strong impression with a booth rich in national identity.
Vietnam’s top female badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh, ranked 18th in the world, was unable to defend her title after losing 0-2 to Cai Yan Yan of China (world No. 107) in the women’s singles final of Yonex-Sunrise Vietnam Open 2025.
At Nhan Dan’s pavilion, visitors encountered a vivid chronicle of Vietnam’s milestones under the Communist Party of Vietnam and the late President Ho Chi Minh’s leadership, from the struggle for independence and reunification to modern development and global integration. Special publications marking Vietnam’s 80th National Day, coupled with performances by Vietnamese artists, intricate handicrafts, and fragrant dishes, had foreign visitors lining up in droves.
Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc will be among 23 artists from 23 countries participating in Intervision 2025, an international music competition often described as the “Eurovision of Eurasia", in Russia.
The event aims to promote solidarity among ethnic minorities, particularly the Cham people, in southern and south-central Vietnam, following the recent merger of provincial-level administrative units.
The animated feature Buffalo Kids, hitting Vietnamese theatres on September 12, is developed from the record-breaking short Strings (2024), which holds the Guinness World Record for the most awarded short film in history.
The national achievement exhibition, themed “80 Years of Independence – Freedom – Happiness,” is the largest of its kind held in Vietnam so far, bringing together 28 ministries and central agencies, 34 localities, 16 state-owned economic corporations, and 94 leading private enterprises.
Victory Vietnam by Swedish film director Bo Öhlén is a deeply moving and authentic documentary, officially premiered in April 2025 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification of Vietnam (April 30, 1975 – 2025).
The archives consist of administrative records, maps, and technical drawings from 1911–1955 left by French coal companies, along with images capturing coal mining, colonial architecture, miners’ lives, and the local community. These materials not only carry historical value but also offer vivid insights into Quang Ninh’s socio-economic landscape before 1955.
Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes are taking centre stage at the third photo exhibition “Vietnam Through the Lens of International Photographers”, which opened in Hue city on September 10.
The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) hosted a screening of the film Mua do (Red Rain) on September 9 for members of the consular corps and Lao and Cambodian students studying in the city, a part of activities marking the 80th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945 – 2025),
With this victory, Vietnam finished at the top of Group C with nine points, officially securing a place in the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Finals, scheduled for January 2026.
On the opening day, Vietnam’s Vu Thi Trang played the first match for the host country, defeating Indonesia’s Aashi Rawat 2-1, marking an encouraging start for the home team.
The Cultural Day is expected to help further strengthen the Vietnam – RoK friendship while reaffirming Hue’s determination to expand international exchanges and assert its role as a cultural and tourism hub of the country.
Now in its second year, the event has grown into a dazzling cultural, culinary, and artistic extravaganza in the heart of London, celebrating the identity, diversity, and unity of the Southeast Asian region.
This year’s festival will offer audiences the chance to discover seven outstanding documentaries from seven foreign countries, along with 11 works from host Vietnam.
Inspired by the renowned Turkish novel "Madonna in a Fur Coat", the film portrays the tender love story of Manav (Shantanu Maheshwari), a young man aspiring to become a singer who is sent to study in Vietnam. There, he is enchanted by the self-portrait of Linh (Kha Ngan), a painter and dancer, setting the stage for a poignant romance.
