A plethora of Thailand heroes already call The Home Of Martial Arts their home, but the latest and most exciting of the lot is Panpayak “The Angel Warrior” Jitmuangnon.
Panpayak makes his highly-anticipated return at ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH on 6 September against Masahide “Crazy Rabbit” Kudo in a flyweight kickboxing contest – the Thai’s first-ever bout outside of Muay Thai.
The pressure is on him, but he urged his fans to be patient, should he take longer than usual to settle into the kickboxing rhythm.
“I am excited, as this will be my first time fighting kickboxing. However, it is also weighing a little heavily on my mind,” the Samut Prakan native shared.
Panpayak is certain that he has enough in his arsenal to power him to a second-consecutive win in ONE Championship.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. I have always been a technical fighter, so I think it will be an easier transition for me. I like to use my kicks and punches.”
At ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in December 2018, the Thai athlete showed his impressive striking repertoire on the way to a dominant unanimous decision win after three rounds of action.
The youngster’s ability to land calculated strikes was obvious, and it is something he believes could get him to a 245th career win in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
“My left kick – it is my signature move. I just need to add more punches,” the five-time Muay Thai World Champion said.
“I want to hit first, move forward, and be more aggressive. I am planning to lead with my hands and follow with my kicks.”
Despite the conviction, Panpayak knows he cannot afford a slight mistake against an accomplished kickboxer like Kudo.
The Japanese striker boasts a REBELS Muay Thai and RISE Featherweight Champion and always attacks in search for a highlight-reel knockout.
“I don’t think he is as experienced as me, and my experience will give me the advantage. I am confident I can win, but cannot be careless,” the Thailand martial artist pointed out.
“His punches are his best weapon. Small gloves are going to make it harder to block, but it is up to me to figure that out once in the ring. I’ll be planning to slip his punches rather than block.”
Watch ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH at 9:30pm (MYT) on TV1 and Astro SuperSport HD.
To watch the prelims, go to ONE’s Facebook and Twitter pages at 6:30pm MYT.
Video link #1: https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship/videos/2345972592341606/
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