“Chasing success in the flyweight division” - Panpayak vows to stick in his lane in bid to secure ONE world title
His ONE Championship journey was set back by two years after deciding to take a break from competition, Panpayak Jitmuangnon said he is up again to chase his flyweight Muay Thai world championship dreams in his return.
'The Angel Warrior' opened up about this in an interview with ONE Championship in line with his scheduled match at ONE Friday Fights 92: Sitthichai vs. Shadow on Dec. 20 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. It will be his second match after returning to competition from a two-year break in October.
Panpayak shared:
"Right now, I'm going to focus on fighting and chasing success in the flyweight division."
Panpayak took a break to attend to family matters. He made his comeback on Oct. 18 at ONE Friday Fights 83 and made it a winning one, defeating Silviu Vitez of Romania by decision.
He looks to sustain the momentum from the victory in his flyweight Muay Thai joust with rising Russian star Egor Bikrev at ONE Friday Fights 92. The contest is the second for Bikrev following his impressive opening-round KO win in his debut in November.
ONE Friday Fights 92 will be available live via ONE Championship's official YouTube channel, the ONE Super App, and watch.onefc.com.
Panpayak admits to experiencing 'ring rust' in his comeback last time around
Panpayak Jitmuangnon made a triumphant return in his last fight after a two-year break from competition but admits he felt the 'ring rust' in his game through the course of the match.
The Jitmuangnon Gym affiliate returned to action back in October this year, defeating Romanian Silviu Vitez by decision in their three-round flyweight Muay Thai battle.
Speaking to the media ahead of his scheduled match at ONE Friday Fights 92 on Dec. 20, Panpayak shared his experience in his comeback fight, saying:
"In that fight, it was not easy, but it was not hard. Looking back at it myself, I think I can improve where I am not good at, and I plan to keep doing the things that I am already good at."
Check out what he had to say below:
For his scheduled match at ONE Friday Fights 92, Panpayak said he is confident of putting up a better performance as he steadily returns to the form that made him among the noted flyweight fighters in the promotion before he took a break.
ONE Friday Fights 92 will be the last live event of ONE Championship for this year.