After a two-year stint on the sidelines, “The Angel Warrior” Panpayak Jitmuangnon’s comeback tour is now in full swing. On December 20 at ONE Friday Fights 92, the decorated Thai star will square off against unbeaten Russian knockout artist Egor Bikrev in a flyweight Muay Thai clash at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
A former seven-time Muay Thai World Champion renowned for his incredible technical prowess and dangerous counter-striking, Panpayak returned to the world’s largest martial arts organization earlier this year, earning a clear-cut decision win over Romanian brawler Silviu Vitez at ONE Friday Fights 83. The 28-year-old hopes to maintain that momentum, but he faces a stiff test in Bikrev. The Russian boasts an unblemished professional record and will enter the contest following a spectacular first-round knockout of Gingsanglek Wor Kumchamnarn in his promotional debut.
Panpayak has noted that without much information available on Bikrev, he will need to formulate his tactics on the fly. He commented, “From what I see, [Bikrev’s] strength is his punching speed. Russian fighters are skilled at punching. As for his weakness, because his last match ended so quickly, I can’t see any.”
While he may struggle to find sufficient footage on the 22-year-old rising star, Panpayak is doing everything in his power to prepare for this matchup. To that end, “The Angel Warrior” has been training at Phuket Fight Club, which is home to several top Russian strikers who can mimic Bikrev’s boxing-heavy style. Among his Russian training partners is #3-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Kiamran Nabati.
“Training at Phuket Fight Club is great. I get to train directly with Russian athletes. I get help from Kiamran in terms of my boxing development, and the training system is based on international standards with sports science added,” says Panpayak.
When Panpayak goes toe-to-toe with Bikrev, he plans to lean heavily on the veteran savvy he’s accumulated over nearly 300 fights. He is uncertain whether his advantage will lie in the clinch or at long range, and whether he should press forward or wait to counter-strike. Instead, Panpayak intends to see what Bikrev presents and react accordingly, remarking, “If I have the chance, I will knock him out, but it’s all about chance and luck. I think he will come at me and start throwing punches at me. I don’t have a clear game plan because I’m going to figure it out in the ring.”
While Panpayak Jitmuangnon is currently focused on Egor Bikrev at ONE Friday Fights 92, he is also fielding questions about a potential clash against longtime rival and current two-sport, two-weight kingpin Superlek “The Kicking Machine” Kiatmoo9. The two Thai icons have fought eight times across their careers, including twice in ONE Championship. Superlek won a narrow split decision in their last matchup before Panpayak’s long layoff.
Panpayak is confident that he and Superlek will face each other again in the future but acknowledges he is still shaking off the ring rust currently. He stated, “I’m not at my best right now, but I’m confident that we’ll meet again in the future. I think I’ll be Superlek’s toughest opponent if I can get back into my best form.”
Superlek is the reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing and Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion and is also the #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender. While some fans are eager for Panpayak to move up in weight for a showdown with Superlek, he clarified that he will not compete at bantamweight anytime soon, as his focus remains on the flyweight Muay Thai belt.
“It’s a bad idea for me to go up to the bantamweight division right now. Because if I do, I’ll be at a huge weight disadvantage. So forget about a rematch with Superlek in the bantamweight division. I can’t do it right now. But maybe in the future. Right now, I’m going to focus on fighting and chasing success in the flyweight division,” concluded Panpayak.
Source link
