From LA to Thailand: 16-Year-Old Malia Weaver Makes Her ONE Championship Debut at The Inner Circle 35 

The 16-year-old from Los Angeles makes her ONE Championship debut against Canadian sensation Olivia "Diamond" Bahsous in an atomweight Muay Thai clash at The Inner Circle 35.

That action-packed show broadcasts live from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, and fans can stream that – as well as ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17 – for free with a paid subscription at live.onefc.com.

Both Weaver and her teenage opponent, Bahsous, have been trading shots at each other on social media for some time, turning a natural rivalry between two of the sport's most exciting young prospects into a genuine personal contest. October 16 is where the talking stops and the fighting starts.

Weaver’s Journey Began at 10 With a First-Round TKO in Her Amateur Debut

The origins of Weaver's competitive Muay Thai career trace back to an amateur debut at just 10 years old. She still remembers that moment clearly as the point where everything clicked into place and her path forward became clear.

"I remember that in the first round, I TKO'd her within the first 30 seconds. So it was really nice. I knew that was kind of where my journey started," Weaver stated.

A 30-second TKO on debut at 10 years old is not a bad introduction to competition, and the confidence it planted has carried the Los Angeles native through every stage of a development that has now brought her to Lumpinee Stadium for a ONE Championship appearance at 16.

Weaver Packed Her Life Into Five Days and Moved to Thailand Alone

The commitment behind Weaver's current training environment goes far beyond simply choosing a good gym. The teenager made a decision to head over to Thailand to further her craft at the Fairtex Training Center, which required a level of courage most adults never test in themselves.

"It was my first time ever coming with no one. Having to pack my whole life in five days, I didn't know when I was coming back or what opportunities I could have gotten. I kind of just went there, and I was going to see what happened," she explained.

Weaver trains at Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand, having started martial arts at the age of 4. She carries a 3-0 professional record into her ONE debut. She had visited Thailand previously with her gym for two weeks, but returning alone was an entirely different challenge.

Weaver Trains With ONE Championship Fighters Every Day

The daily training environment Weaver has built for herself in Thailand is preparing her for exactly the level she is stepping into at The Inner Circle 35. The fighters pushing her in the gym every day are the same caliber she will face on ONE Championship’s global stage.

"I train with a lot of ONE fighters. At Fairtex Training Center, we have a fight team, and it's pretty much filled with ONE fighters. I'm really thankful that I get to train with them, and they don't take it easy on me. They really push me. My biggest dream is to be in ONE Championship, have that belt, and just keep being an active fighter," she said.

Bahsous made her own ONE Championship debut earlier this year by finishing her opponent in 89 seconds and has since added a second TKO to a career record that already stands at 17-1. The online rivalry between the two teenagers gives October 16 a personal edge that elevates it beyond a standard debut bout.

Watch The Inner Circle 35 exclusively on live.onefc.com beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT.